The Twelve Days of Lico
by serenathedinosaur
Summary: It's nearing Christmas, and Leo and Nico are some of the few demigods left at camp during the holiday season. Leo decides to initiate what he calls Leo and Nico's Ultimate Christmas Vacation, where the two demigods will be traveling the world in the Argo II. But what happens when the two begin harboring feelings for each other? They're about to find out. (cover by Viria)
1. The Vacation of a Lifetime

**So there's a lot of things I need to notify you guys of before we get started here. If you don't wanna read all this bold text, that's okay, but before you write a review full of criticism, take the time to see if I mentioned anything here. I've got a lot to say.**

**This story is a Christmas present to my friend Jessica. She is a huge Lico/Valdangelo shipper and basically this is for her. I thought I'd share this with the Internet, though, so I hope you all will enjoy this!**

**However, here's a few things to keep in mind as you're reading: 1.) I started the story before I finished HoH. I tried to fix some things that may have gone against whatever HoH made canon, but I'm not perfect. 2.) I'm writing this story before Blood of Olympus, meaning if you're a person from the future who is reading this after October of 2014, I'm sorry for all the things I made up that probably didn't/won't happen in BoO. Especially throughout this first chapter, I found myself tying up some loose ends after the war with Gaea (as this story takes place in the December after). So yeah, quite a lot are either headcanons or just non-canon. Whatever guys, just read along and enjoy!**

**Oh, and one more thing: Leo and Nico might (at parts) sound a little OOC. I actually tried to keep them as in-character as I could. But you see, they're falling in ****_love _****in this story. Love does crazy things. They're not gonna sound like themselves. They're even going to ****_notice _****that here. So you know, just go along with it. Take it or leave it. Love it or hate it. I don't know.**

**By the way, I am quite aware that I am posting this ****_after _****Christmas. It's December 30th and I still haven't written all the chapters yet. So it's a late gift to my friend Jessica and to all of you guys at the same time. Oops. Like I said before, I'm not perfect. (But hey, I once read a Christmas fic in August, so I'm sure you guys can read this Christmas fic a few days late.)**

**ONE FINAL VERY IMPORTANT THING: Leo and Nico will be going to ****_a LOT _****of different places throughout this story. About 75% of my time writing this fic was spent researching weather, locations, holiday traditions, etc etc of different places. If I screwed something up, I'm sorry and that'll probably break my heart, as it took FOREVER to Google everything I needed to know in order to write each chapter (the exception being chapter one). So again, if there are inaccuracies, I apologize greatly. This fic is not meant to promote stereotypes, insult, or hurt anyone. It is for the mere enjoyment of Leo and Nico. (I hope to the gods I got most of this information right anyway).**

**Enough of me rambling. I'll post chapters when I feel like it. ~Happy Holidays!~**

* * *

CHAPTER 1

The Vacation of a Lifetime

Day: 1

Leo stood at the helm of his warship, the _Argo II_, and gazed at Camp Half-Blood far below. Demigods—many Greek, some Roman—frantically bustled about the camp. They sprinted from one cabin to another, hurriedly collecting last-minute belongings before they caught their ride to the nearest airport. It was less than two weeks before Christmas, and most demigods were leaving for the holiday season. Those were the demigods with places to be and people to visit. Unlike those half-bloods, Leo didn't have any mortal parent to spend time with. He didn't have a home to go back to. His home was here at camp, and more importantly, the _Argo II._

And he wouldn't have it any other way. After the events of the summer, Leo couldn't envision another place he would call home. His warship was his home. He also couldn't imagine any other family. His friends were his family. While many of his distant cousins were finishing their much-procrastinated packing, Leo calmly rested his head on the controls of the ship, glad he didn't have to deal with the extra stress of the holidays. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes at the scent of pine needles—the smell he associated so much with home.

He was so lost in thought he didn't hear the footsteps approaching the helm. He whirled around at the sound of his name. His eyes lit up when he saw his best friend Piper standing behind him.

"Hey, Beauty Queen," Leo said with a mischievous smirk. Piper rolled her eyes, but Leo knew she was secretly in love with the nickname.

"Repair Boy," Piper said, giving Leo a light punch on the shoulder. "What are you doing up here?"

Leo shrugged and stole a glance of camp from behind him. Gods, the sight from the ship was stunning.

"You know I have attachment issues," Leo said. He stroked the controls of the ship as if they were his pet. "I can't leave my ship. Isn't that right, Baby?"

Piper pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see that."

Leo gave his friend a questioning look. "Aren't you going to your dad's for the holidays?"

"I am, actually," remarked Piper. "I came up here to say goodbye."

If Leo were a dog, his ears would be drooping. Piper was practically his sister, and the fact that he wasn't going to spend the holidays with his surrogate sibling made his gut twist with sadness. "Oh."

Piper noted Leo's sudden change in emotion quickly. He couldn't tell if it was because she was the daughter of Love or simply because she knew him so well. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, forcing him to make eye contact with her.

"Hey, it's only until a little after New Year's," she said softly. "We'll all be back before you know it."

Piper wasn't the only one leaving. Percy and Annabeth were heading to San Francisco where Annabeth's dad lived. Percy's mom was to meet them there and they were going to have a conjoined family Christmas. Jason and Piper were doing something similar—Piper's famous dad Tristan McLean had invited Piper as well as her boyfriend over for the holidays. Jason didn't have any mortal family like Leo, but he was sure Piper and her dad would be just what he needed. And Hazel and Frank were back at Camp Jupiter, helping Reyna out with the Legion kids.

All of his friends insisted that Leo come with them. Annabeth had said that her father was always happy to make room for one more. Piper had threatened to punch him senseless until he agreed to tag along with her and Jason. Hazel had offered for Leo to join in on a festive New Rome Christmas. Countless times they had asked for his company, and countless times Leo politely declined. It was not that he didn't enjoy their invitations. He actually was very touched that they all were so keen on giving him the perfect Christmas. For the first time in his life, he felt like he was truly wanted. But that wasn't enough for him to leave. He had other plans in mind.

As his thoughts drifted to a certain son of Hades, Piper's wide kaleidoscope eyes poured into her friend. She was worried about him, no doubt, but she had a sneaky feeling his motives for staying behind during the holidays had nothing to do with her or the rest of the Seven. Her wonderful Aphrodite senses were tingling, and Leo was radiating some interesting emotions: excitement, impatience, and…was that love?

But this love was different. It wasn't quite like the love of a sibling or family member, yet it wasn't as protruding or prominent as the love of a spouse or partner. It was something else, something with an undefined name that maybe only Leo was capable of feeling.

Piper was beginning to get a headache from all the contradicting emotions Leo emitted. She concentrated and pushed them out of her head like she was shoving an intruder out the door. She took her hand off Leo's shoulder and let it fall limply to her side.

"What do you plan on doing while we're away?"

Leo shrugged and flashed her a half-hearted smile. He was clearly distracted by his own thoughts.

"Oh, you know, the usual," he said casually. "Fighting off monsters, setting a couple dummies aflame in the arena, maybe sprucing the ol' war machine up." He patted the _Argo II_ affectionately.

Piper could tell he was lying. He wasn't planning on doing any of those things. She wondered what he was hiding.

"What are you and Sparky gonna do at your dad's?"

Piper tugged at her uneven braids. It made her worried and upset whenever Leo was keeping something to himself. But she didn't want to start a scene, so she decided to go along with his sudden change in conversation, which was now putting the spotlight on her.

"I'm hoping to just relax," she admitted. "This whole diplomacy thing between the Greeks and Romans is wearing me out."

Ever since both groups of demigods were able to unite under the Athena Parthenos's power (kudos to Reyna and Annabeth for figuring that monster of a problem out) and defeat Gaea and her forces, the two camps had been genuinely working together. Most of the ancient tension between the demigods had eased and things had been moving smoothly. Of course, there were a few spats here and there, but nothing compared to atrocities like the American Civil War—which was, naturally, caused by Roman and Greek feuds. But in order to make sure things didn't get too out of hand, Piper and her sister Drew were constantly traveling from one camp to another. Their power of charmspeak made them the perfect candidates to assist in diplomatic meetings and other various jobs, including breaking up small brawls and arguments. To say the least, Piper had been working overtime, and she of all people needed a break.

"And how is your dad adjusting to his new—ah—_view_ of the world?"

"Surprisingly well," Piper said. "Ever since Aphrodite gave him the ability to hold the knowledge about the gods, he's been constantly researching Greek myths. I'm sure he and Jason will get along famously."

Leo smiled—a real smile this time. "That's great, Pipes."

Piper returned the smile, but it was quickly replaced by a frown. "Are you sure—"

"Piper, I am sure."

The daughter of Aphrodite bit her bottom lip. "Okay. If you're so certain you want to stay here…"

"I am," Leo said definitely. And before he knew it, Piper was pulling him into a tight hug. Leo hugged her back, not really wanting to let go. After the battle with Gaea, Leo began to enjoy the little moments like these. He would take mental snapshots of the moment and put them into a little filing cabinet inside his head. Like the time Percy laughed so hard water came out of his nose (and he wasn't drinking anything, for the record); or the time Leo caught Frank and Hazel dancing to music from the 40s on the deck of the _Argo II_; or when Jason had to fly Piper high above harm's way when Annabeth woke to a baby spider in her bed, courtesy of Beauty Queen herself. Or the first time Nico actually laughed at one of Leo's jokes—_especially_ that time. All those little, almost meaningless memories meant something to Leo, and he never _ever _wanted to forget them. He silently filed "Leo and Piper's Holiday Farewell Hug" inside his brain.

Leo escorted Piper out of his ship and to the taxi just outside Half-Blood Hill, where Jason and Coach Hedge awaited her. Leo raised his eyebrow at the coach, but he figured he was only going to see his wife, who was also Tristan McLean's assistant. After a friendly goodbye hug with Jason and a bone-crunching slap on the back from the coach, Leo walked back down the hill and entered the main boarders of camp once again.

* * *

Leo found him in Cabin 3—Percy's cabin. He was staying with the son of Poseidon while his own cabin was under construction. Annabeth insisted on making sure everything about the Hades Cabin was perfect, and that meant she would be working on it for a while. Being the Official Architect of Olympus and the Unofficial Architect of Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth had such a position that Leo knew he was in no place to criticize. Judging by the work so far, the Hades Cabin would be the total _opposite _of sucktastic. In other words: it was pretty darn good.

Leo knocked once and let himself in, too impatient to wait for an answer. He found the son of Hades lying on a bunk inside the cabin, staring at the shadows on the ceiling, an arm behind his head. His long bangs were swept to one side, just barely out of his eyes. His pale, sunken skin was starting to regain some color and shape, but he still resembled a lifeless corpse. For some reason, that was the part of Nico di Angelo that Leo found most endearing.

Nico sat up violently when he heard the cabin door creak open, his head almost smashing into the ceiling. He scowled at the person who rudely made his way inside. Though when he saw who it was his expression softened.

"What are you doing here, Valdez?"

The son of Hephaestus seemed to light up like a million florescent light bulbs. His caramel brown eyes twinkled with excitement. He wasted no time with small talk.

"Will you run away with me?" he blurted, clasping his hands together in pure joy.

Nico di Angelo had fought monsters, demigods, and immortal beings. He could summon the dead with Happy Meals as well as skeletal creatures in the blink of an eye. He could shadow travel to any place on earth and withstand the harsh conditions of the Underworld. Nico di Angelo had been through so much in his short fourteen years. However, he could honestly admit that he had never found himself at such a loss for words than in that very moment.

"What?" he stammered.

Leo, realizing his interesting word choice, felt heat creep up to his cheeks. He began stumbling over his words while fiddling with his hands anxiously.

"I, uh, did not mean…uh…that. I—um…" He cleared his throat, wanting more than ever to obtain a restart button and redo the whole entry scene again. "I actually—um—meant—"

Nico hopped down from the top bunk, his black shoes clunking to the ground. The sound echoed throughout the cabin. Leo felt himself grow more nervous as the son of Hades stepped closer to him. His heart rate increased and he was sure his curly brown hair was beginning to drip with perspiration.

It was now or never. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily.

"Would you like to go on a vacation with me?" Leo tried again, feeling a little more pleased with these words.

Nico raised an eyebrow. Leo knew it wouldn't be an easy task to get the son of Hades to agree with his plan, but there was still a small spark of hope in his mind that he was wrong. He prayed to any god out there that Nico would say yes.

"Look," Leo started, "you and I—we don't have any place to go. Besides camp, we don't have a home to return to for the holidays…"

"As I recall," Nico began dryly, "you were invited to many places for Christmas."

"So were you," Leo retorted. "But you also declined."

Nico's face was expressionless, and Leo took that as his cue to continue.

"I was thinking—instead of staying here at camp with the few demigods who are normally left behind…"

Nico flinched at Leo's words, and Leo instantly regretted using the phrase "left behind." But it was too late to take those words back, and Leo decided to trudge through what he was trying to say. He realized that he must not have been as smooth as previously thought.

Leo sighed and tried to form his jumbled thoughts into viable sentences.

"I have this plan," he started, "where we can have the best Christmas vacation ever. Just you and me, on the _Argo II_, traveling to different places all over the world—one place per day for twelve days total. It will all lead up to December 25th—Christmas Day. What do you think?"

Leo was afraid he was noticeably shaking. He didn't know what Nico would say. Would the son of Hades laugh in his face? Would he summon skeletal warriors to chase Leo out of the cabin? Would he tell Chiron that Leo was harassing him?

Nico di Angelo was a mystery. No one knew what he was going to say or do next. He was unpredictable and quiet, albeit very opinionated. But once Leo got passed those things, he started to see other things within the ghostly demigod. He was brave—that was for sure. He was also extremely powerful, not only because he was the son of one of the Big Three, but because he radiated this godly confidence within him—something he didn't have until after the war with Gaea. And contrary to popular belief, Nico di Angelo had a big heart. Leo had seen him in action when his sister or his best friends were in trouble. Nico was quick to save anyone, being the selfless person he was.

Sure, Nico was still introverted, withdrawn, and completely misunderstood by most, but Leo managed to see _so much more_ underneath Nico's tough exterior. And Leo loved everything about him.

Nico seemed to ponder Leo's proposition. He raised a ghostly eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. Leo couldn't help but compare Nico's current expression with an innocent little puppy.

"You and me," Nico said finally, "on a giant warship, traveling the world for twelve days straight." It wasn't a question; Nico was merely trying to understand what Leo was suggesting here.

Leo glanced down at his feet. The son of Hephaestus was anxious.

"Yeah," he said sheepishly. "Ever since the war, I've kind of meant to take a vacation. But you know—demigod duty calls."

Leo was right—all demigods thought that after the war was fought and won, they would be able to take a break and relax. Maybe they would spend their time by the shores of Camp Half-Blood or take a class at the university in New Rome. Leo was looking forward to that off-time—Hades, all the demigods were! But alas, no such time came. The Hephaestus cabin and Athena cabin were hard at work rebuilding both camps, with both Leo and Annabeth in the command. All camp counselors were constantly going back and forth between both camps, having diplomatic meetings and sorting out any issues—meaning Jason, Percy, Piper and all the other counselors were busy 24/7. Nico was always heading to the Underworld to check and double check that the Doors of Death were secured and that Hades was okay with the extra security arrangements surrounding the many entrances to Tartarus. Hazel and Frank also helped out wherever they could, being great model demigods of _both _camps.

All demigods were constantly on the move like never before. No one had the chance to relax.

Leo continued: "But now that it's the holidays, I feel like this would be a perfect time to get our vacay on!"

Nico fumbled for the right words. He didn't want to crush Leo's feelings.

"But with most campers gone," Nico pointed out, "who's going to take care of camp? There needs to be someone here to protect the borders from monsters and answer to any calls from the gods. What if camp needs us?"

Leo managed a grin. "I'm one step ahead of you, bro. I talked to Chiron about it, and he said there are plenty of demigods not leaving for the holidays. And the magic around camp has been increased in strength, thanks to a certain leader of the Hephaestus cabin. The borders are impenetrable."

Before Nico could protest, Leo quickly added, "Besides, isn't there some rule for monsters about not attacking demigods during the Christmas season?"

"No."

"Whatever." Leo blew the comment off. "I'm sure the monsters are busy having their own celebration down in Tartarus anyway." Nico narrowed his eyes, clearly not buying the argument, but how could he resist Leo's pleading brown eyes? They were so big and wide and hopeful that Nico could barely stand under their gaze. In his heart, he knew he would not win this argument.

"All right," said Nico uneasily. His voice was barely above a whisper, but Leo heard him plenty. He threw his fist into the air and let out a loud whoop.

"Yes!" He draped an arm around Nico's shoulders, much to the latter's dismay. "We are going to have _so much fun!_ There are still a lot of places around the world I want to see! I rigged up the Archimedes' sphere to boost up the _Argo II_'s speed by nearly 300 percent, so we'll be able to go to a new place every single day. We will be going faster than ever!"

Nico ducked under Leo's arm, which his friend shrugged off. He stopped in the middle of the cabin.

"Are you sure this will be okay?" Nico asked. "The last time we were on that warship, we were trying to stop Gaea from rising. A lot of bloody battles happened on those decks. I'm afraid…" Nico stopped. It was not often he admitted he was scared of something. Yet, being here alone with Leo, he felt like he could open up a lot more. He caught himself before he could go any further.

Leo sensed Nico's discomfort and replied to his unspoken fear. "Don't worry. Gaea is gone and there should be no threat to us—the Fates aren't _that _cruel."

Nico thought of Percy and Annabeth. Those two were clear examples of the Fates being _that _cruel. The two had fought in the bloody Battle of Manhattan, barely escaped with their lives, and finally had the chance to settle down. And only a few months later, _bam! _They were thrown back into a conflict with Olympus and some outside source—this time being Mother Earth herself—and found themselves in the middle of another war. If the Fates couldn't give those two a break, why should they ever be nice to Nico di Angelo and his scrawny friend?

But Nico did not voice his opinion. Instead, he went along with Leo. Surely the son of Hephaestus was right. Nico was only being paranoid.

"So…when are we leaving?"

Leo broke out into a huge smile. "Let's go right now."

"Right now?" Nico looked around incredulously. "But…I haven't even started packing."

"Just grab what you think you need. It's not that hard."

"Okay…" He disappeared into the bathroom he shared with Percy and returned a second later with a single toothbrush in his hand. "Ready."

Leo rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh…Just a toothbrush? Don't you want, um, clothes or something?"

Nico looked down at his typical outfit—aviator jacket, skull T-shirt, ripped skinny jeans. "I'm sure I can wash these here and there."

Leo smirked. Even when Nico didn't mean to be, the kid was funny.

They notified Chiron of their departure and the old centaur hugged them both goodbye, which surprised the two demigods. Then they climbed the decks of the _Argo II_ and got settled near the helm. Leo flipped a couple switches and rattled a pair of Wii remotes. The ship lurched as it ascended to the sky above them, far above Camp Half-Blood.

Leo tinkered with the Archimedes' sphere to make sure it was working properly. He watched Nico out of the corner of his eye. The son of Hades was staring off into the distance, clearly lost in thought. Leo couldn't tell what he was thinking of, but it may have been something to do with the war with Gaea.

And he was right. "It's a little lonely, being the only two people on the ship."

Leo looked up from the sphere. "Yeah, I guess it is."

_Crap. _That was the total opposite of what he wanted to say. He didn't want Nico to feel lonely—he wanted him to be happy! Leo wanted nothing more than to make his friend have the best Christmas vacation ever. He didn't know that the warship would end up feeling this empty without the rest of the Seven. Leo bit the inside of his cheek.

"But, hey…" He stepped closer to Nico. "We're going to have a lot of fun. We'll go sightseeing, we'll decorate the ship, we'll drink hot cocoa—all the normal Christmas stuff, we will do."

Nico managed what Leo suspected was the hint of a smile. "Okay. So, where to first?"

Leo's eyes twinkled. "That's for me to know, and you to find out." He looked at the sky above him. The sun was beginning to set. "You go below deck and get some sleep. We should be at our Day 2 destination by the time you wake up."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me." He flashed one of his signature grins. "I don't need sleep."

Nico took Leo's suggestion in account (he was feeling rather tired) and descended down the stairs. He didn't know where to go from there. If Nico had a cabin on the ship, he would have slept there for the night. However, the ship was made for the Seven of the Great Prophecy, which Nico was not a part of. Sure, he helped out at times, but he wasn't one of the _Seven_. He was an outsider.

He paced the hallway of the cabins, pondering the chances of getting yelled at if he were to temporarily use one. Percy was allowing him to bunk in Cabin 3 at camp—maybe he wouldn't mind Nico borrowing this cabin too. Nico began to head to Percy's cabin when something caught his eye. He stopped dead in his tracks.

Next to Frank's room, at the end of the hallway, there was a new door. Nico couldn't remember there being this many doors. But what caught his attention the most was the inscribed name upon the door. The letters and style of handwriting matched all the other demigods' doors.

_Nico di Angelo_

Nico's heart raced at an unhealthy speed. His thin hand turned the cool doorknob. He slowly pushed the door open and made his way inside. He caught his breath.

The cabin wasn't big. He knew Leo had to make some dimension changes in order to squeeze the extra room into the hallway. But being slightly smaller than the others didn't even faze him. The cabin was beautiful.

The walls were coated in dark purple paint, which was calming in a weird sense. A curtain matching the walls was pulled back by the small porthole window. The bed had gray, fluffy covers, and the floor had equally fluffy carpeting. Gray spires jutted out of the headboard of the bed, which was also littered with purple pillows. Next to the bed was a small wooden dresser and across from the bed was a desk made of the same material. Everything was simple, but that wasn't what made it so stunning.

Pictures were all over the walls. Nico and his friends were displayed in the pictures, all captured moments that Nico hadn't dwindled over much. There was the picture of the time Percy and Jason convinced Nico to join in on a volleyball game. There was a snapshot of Nico and Hazel sitting at the beach, Hazel smiling brilliantly and Nico having the faintest hint of one played out on his lips. There was the picture of Nico smashed between Piper and Annabeth, who had quickly taken what they called a "selfie" with him. And there was that photo of Leo, Nico, and Frank all dressed up in demigod armor, ready to take part in a game of capture the flag.

So many pictures were framed, tacked, taped, and even stapled to the walls. Nico could barely see the purple paint underneath the litter of photos, which now acted like a wallpaper of memories. There were more pictures on the desk and the dresser. Nico's heart surged with pride and happiness—Leo had truly gone all out to make him feel like home. Nico didn't even know he had taken this many pictures with people.

On the bed, there was a folded up note. With shaking hands, Nico smoothed the lined paper out. Messy handwriting was scrawled out on the note, and Nico automatically knew who it was from. His heart thumped against his chest as he read it to himself.

_Nico,_

_Welcome aboard the _Argo II_. I'm super excited that you came along. We're going to have a blast! I was gonna do this "Secret Santa" thing with you, but then I realized we were the only two people on the ship and you would know who this was from. Anyway, while we're traveling the world—one place each day for twelve full days—I'm also going to do something extra. I am going to give you one gift for each day. It's like that Twelve Days of Christmas song! This is Day 1, and our first location is Camp Half-Blood. Your first gift is the room. I hope you like it. I felt like you needed a place to stay while we're venturing around the world._

_From,_

_You're Not-So-Secret-Santa_

_(ps: it's Leo Valdez if you didn't figure it out already)_

Nico read and re-read the letter, his dyslexia messing up some of the words, but he was still able to get the main gist of it. Leo was serious when he said he was going to give him the best Christmas vacation ever. Not only were they going to one place in the world each day, but Nico was receiving one gift per day. Nico shook his head. He had never really received many gifts for the holidays, except from his sister Bianca—but that was in the past. What was Leo up to now? Why did he want to do all this for Nico? And what was Nico supposed to do to return the favor?

Nico took another look around the room. He was going to have to get Leo the most perfect Christmas gift ever. Maybe he couldn't do the Twelve Days of Christmas thing, but he could try to find an amazing gift. He hadn't been really planning on getting anyone a Christmas present, and now he found his mind scrambling for the things Leo liked. _Tools, girls, tacos, pranks…_

Maybe this _would _be the best Christmas vacation ever.

**Thanks for taking the time to read Chapter 1 of my first lengthy fic. I hope you enjoyed :) Watch out for updates! They'll be coming in soon.**

**~Serena**


	2. Sweaters and Sunsets

**Here's the next chapter. Again, I may end up posting all the chapters I have so far now, I may not. It depends on my mood (but it's not like I have anything better to do anyway. No, homework does not count as "better.") **

**Enjoy, my fellow demigods!**

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

Sweaters and Sunsets

Day: 2

Nico woke to the smell of pancakes and the sound of the ocean.

He scrambled out of bed, startled at the sudden change of the atmosphere. It wasn't cold and crisp like New York—it was warm and content and slightly humid. Nico wondered where in Hades he could be.

Leo was humming to himself as Nico entered the mess hall. He expertly flipped some pancakes in a skillet over the stove. He gave Nico a grin over his shoulder.

"And the Ghost King awakes!" Leo flopped the pancakes onto a plate and held it out for Nico. "Breakfast, your majesty?"

Nico was never a breakfast person, but the sweet smell of banana pancakes pierced his nose so violently his stomach rumbled. He took the plate from his friend and sat down in his usual spot. As he slowly began to eat the pancakes (which were cooked to perfection) he contemplated mentioning the note to Leo. Was this not-so-Secret-Santa thing something they should talk about? Or should he let it go and have Leo continue? One thing was for sure: he couldn't just_ not_ mention the new cabin.

"Thank you," Nico said.

"Hey, don't mention it," said Leo. "I actually know how to cook other things besides tacos."

Nico hesitated. "I was…actually talking about the cabin."

Leo's spatula hovered over the pancakes for a split second. Then he returned to flipping them like nothing had stopped him in the first place. He carefully did not look at Nico.

"Oh," he said in a smaller voice, "that was nothing."

Nico stared at his banana pancakes. "It was more than nothing," he said quietly, almost to himself. He wasn't sure if Leo heard him.

Leo turned off the stove and sat by Nico with his own large stack of banana pancakes. He practically inhaled them and was finished before Nico was even halfway through his own breakfast. They ate in silence, but it was not necessarily awkward. It was actually peaceful.

After breakfast, Nico showered and got back into his clothes from yesterday, which smelled clean enough to wear. He met Leo at the helm of the ship.

"It's not snowing," Nico pointed out.

"That would be a negative," Leo said, checking the readings of the ship. "It's about 65 degrees."

"Where are we?"

"Look."

Nico squinted through the morning sun and could make out shapes around him—were those palm trees? In the distance was a white and red lighthouse, something he had only seen in golfing advertisements. It took him a few moments to recognize his location.

"South Carolina," he said. "We're on an island."

"Hilton Head Island, to be exact," Leo said. "I thought this would be a nice place to spend our second day of the Twelve Days of Leo's Spectacular Christmas Extravaganza."

Nico almost flinched. This was the first time Leo made a reference to the letter. He stole a glance of the son of Hephaestus out of the corner of his eye. There was a halo of sunlight around his curly hair. His tan complexion was golden under the sun. He seemed to be soaking up the sun's rays, causing him to appear powerful and godly, and Nico realized he could stare at him all day. Leo looked like he was touched by Apollo himself, making him absolutely stunning.

Nico quickly looked away, suddenly forgetful of what he was going to say.

Leo had already docked the _Argo II_ near other ships. He was curious of what the mortals would see. Maybe they'd see the awesome warship as some tiny little sailboat. Or maybe it would appear as a four-star cruise line. Either way, Leo's ship was tucked away from any unwanted attention, thanks to the Mist.

The demigods exited the _Argo II _and headed down to society. From an aerial view, the docks were sort of like an open circle, the lighthouse being at the top right tip. Leo and Nico had to walk all the way around the circle on the sidewalks in order to reach the lighthouse. On their right were large trees and houses. On their left was the dock itself, the boats bobbing on the water. There weren't many people bustling about the docks, but Leo was sure they were all near the lighthouse.

They finally broke from the docks and were met by a crowd of tourists. Shops and restaurants were all around the lighthouse and away some. Families with kids old and young were all doing their separate things: paying for lighthouse tickets, eating breakfast at the restaurants, or shopping for souvenirs at various over-priced shops.

Leo led Nico through the crowds of vacationers. None of them paid much attention to the suspender-clad teenager with a magic tool belt or the pale boy in all black. They were all busy taking pictures next to the docks or the lighthouse.

"Welcome to Harbour Town!" Leo exclaimed excitingly. He stopped and spread his arms like he owned the place.

"Not much of a Christmas-y vacation spot," Nico pointed out.

Leo shrugged. "Who cares? We don't have to freeze our scrawny butts off in order to celebrate Christmas."

"I guess you're right."

Leo grabbed for Nico's hand and began to drag him toward the lighthouse entrance. The Ghost King snatched his hand out of Leo's grip, to which the latter merely shrugged off. They entered the building next to the Harbour Town Lighthouse.

The man behind the counter raised his eyebrows at the two oddballs who walked in. Leo announced that he wanted two tickets to the lighthouse, and the man grudgingly handed Leo the tickets, who in return slapped a ten dollar bill on the table. He winked at the man and told him to keep the change. Leo then stormed up the stairs next to the counter, Nico hot on his heels.

Many, many steps later, Leo and Nico burst out into the sunlight. The top of the lighthouse was filled with tourists bustling here and there, and the demigods had to shove their way to the cement walls. Leo peered over the side and couldn't believe the view. They weren't too high off the ground, but that's not to say it wasn't beautiful. It was absolutely gorgeous.

The ocean was to their left—a wonderful sight itself. To their right was the whole of Harbour Town, with its many shops, restaurants, parks, and tourists. Leo eagerly pointed out many of these things to Nico as if he were a little kid in a huge candy shop. Nico was hardly listening to Leo and actually paid more attention to the son of Hephaestus himself. Leo seemed to be having the time of his life, and all he was doing was standing on top a large cement block with a gloomy son of Hades. Nico was practically Death himself. Why was Leo enjoying this so much?

After the lighthouse tour, Leo and Nico went to the park a few streets over. Nico was hesitant when Leo suddenly jumped on one of the swing sets. He started laughing like a madman as he propelled himself back and forth. He gestured for Nico to join him on the next swing over. Nico reluctantly agreed.

Nico wasn't in to the playfulness at first. He sort of awkwardly sat on the swing and let his feet scrape up the dirt beneath him. But after much prodding from Leo, the two demigods were soon having a competition to see who could swing the highest. Leo and Nico tried their hardest to push themselves higher and higher with each swing. Butterflies lined both their stomachs, and Leo couldn't stop laughing. Nico found himself also letting out a small giggle, which was strange at first for Leo to hear—Nico di Angelo did _not_ giggle, let alone laugh. But it sounded genuine and—gods forbid—a little adorable.

After they were kicked out of the park by several five year olds and their angry parents (it wasn't "appropriate" for a couple of teenagers to have fun on a playground, which was beyond Leo), the half-bloods made their way throughout the many shops. They didn't buy anything, and at first respectfully looked at each souvenir—but soon it turned into a game to find the most ridiculously priced item, which usually turned out to be some twenty dollar plastic toy made for an eight year old. They were eventually banished from each shop for "disrupting business," and before the shop owners could call the local security guards or park rangers, the friends headed down to the beach on the other side of Harbour Town.

It was now the hottest part of the day, around two or three in the afternoon, and the temperature hit its peak of 75 degrees. Nico shrugged off his aviator jacket and sat on the sand in just his skinny jeans and black skull T-shirt. Leo lay next to him, his suspenders sliding down his shoulders. Nico had to admit—it was a little distracting. Leo's white formal shirt was halfway tucked into his jeans, the other half hanging out. His left collar was sticking up and seemed to tickle his chin, not that he made any gesture to fix it. His orange camp shirt was visible underneath the white material. Locks of hair were sprawled out on the sand beneath him, a few strands making their way into his eyes. Leo was poorly dressed and looked like a mess—and somehow, he pulled it off. It simply looked _right _on him.

Leo pulled a few gears out of his tool belt and began to tinker with them. Nico couldn't tell what he was thinking about, but he suddenly found himself wishing it was about him. Nico quickly pushed that thought away. _Don't be stupid_, he thought to himself.

A good half hour passed between them in silence. Neither boy complained—they liked the silence. It was nice to have company, and they seemed to complete each other in that sense. Nico was quiet enough to allow Leo some space when he needed to be with himself; Leo was talkative enough to fill the empty holes in Nico's social life. It just worked.

"Do you like the beach?"

Nico looked down at the demigod and then back at the ocean. The waves crashed to the shore. A few people were out in boats, others were on jet skis. The sun was high in the sky and lightly beat down on them. It was utterly peaceful.

"I do," said Nico finally. "It's different."

Leo propped himself up on his elbows. "How so?"

"People can do what they want," he said. "Someone can read on a boat. Another person can scuba dive. A family can fish. People like us can relax on the sand. There's a lot one can do on the beach."

Leo smiled. "Percy would like that answer. Maybe excluding the fishing part."

Silence crashed over them like the waves on the beach. The two boys had light conversation here and there—about the weather, the restaurants, the fun at the park and shops—and two hours later they headed back to the _Argo II. _They picked up ice cream and pizza along the way.

In the mess hall, several slices of pizza and two ice cream cones later, Nico sat and stared at the wall of Camp Half-Blood. The beaches of camp and the beaches of Harbour Town were different in their own aspects. For some reason, Nico felt like the lake at camp belonged to Percy. Being the son of Poseidon, he was quite often seen there, and no one expected a ghostly boy like Nico to ever enjoy the sandy banks. Here in Harbour Town, amongst the hundreds of tourists, Nico felt like the shore could be owned by anyone. And right now, he claimed some of the territory for himself and Leo.

The doors to the mess hall burst open a few minutes later. Leo stumbled in with two very large boxes in his thin arms. Together the boxes both out-weighed and were taller than the Latino kid. Nico jumped out of his seat and took a box from his friend.

"Thanks," Leo grunted. He readjusted his sole box within his arms. "I was wondering if you wanted to help decorate the ship. We can start in the living room!"

"We have a living room?"

"We do now!"

Nico followed him down the hall to what was once a storage room. Leo had renovated it to resemble a small living room. A fire place lined the far wall, and to the right of it was a wooden rocking chair. On the other side was a large pine tree—Leo and Nico's Christmas tree. Across from the fireplace was a loveseat sofa made out of plaid patterned material. The rug was green and the walls were a dark red, almost auburn. The room was dim and resembled a typical grandmother's living room—yet it seemed to capture the spirit of Christmas all the same.

"Wow," Nico said. "You weren't kidding when you said we'd be spending Christmas together."

"I hope you like it," Leo said, gently setting his box on the ground. Nico followed his actions, still staring at the renovated room. "It will be a nice, quiet place we can spend time in. I thought it was Christmas-y enough. You gotta admit—you're just dying to drink hot cocoa right now."

Nico nodded his head. "It certainly gives off those vibes."

Leo opened the first box and rummaged through it. He grabbed a pine needle wreath and secured it above the mantle with a nail and hammer produced by his magic tool belt. He stepped back to admire his work.

"How's that?"

"A good start," Nico admitted. He glanced around the room, and then remembered that Leo mentioned decorating the _whole ship._ He was starting to become wary of the idea. "But we better get moving quicker than this."

Leo strutted over to the old retro radio sitting atop the mantle. He clicked it on and suddenly the room was filled with Christmas music. Under normal circumstances, Nico would have given Leo a death glare until he turned the music off. But something about the swaying of Leo's body and the humming of his voice as he dug through the box of Christmas decorations told Nico that he should let this slide—just this once. He wasn't going to let Leo control _all _of the vacation.

Not that he wasn't secretly enjoying all this. So far, Christmas was looking promising.

Together they went through all the boxes containing various decorations: tinsel, popcorn links, ornaments, wreaths, lights, candles, and even some fake snow. Leo and Nico started with the new living room, stringing lights and tinsel on the fireplace mantle and walls. They placed the candles around the room and Leo lit them with his fire.

They slowly made their way to the Christmas tree, and with nothing but the music of the radio to fill the silence, they began to hang ornaments on the branches. Many ornaments of different sizes, colors, and meanings were used to decorate the tree. Leo had to grab a ladder from one of the supply closets in order to reach the top. They carefully wrapped the lights around the pine needle branches.

Decorating the tree was calming. They weren't talking much, besides the occasional "Hand me that box" and "Put that ornament here." But the silence was not unbearable. For one, the music was between them, and that was enough to satisfy the lack of conversation. But even that wasn't the true reason of why they were comfortable without speaking. These boys had been through enough together to understand each other. It wasn't that they didn't have much to talk about—it was more like they didn't _need _to talk. Their individual presence was enough to fill a whole day's worth of conversation.

Leo took an object out of the box. He carefully swept aside the tissue paper, revealing a golden star underneath. It was glittery and studded with light bulbs, a small cord hanging off the side. Leo handed it to Nico, who took the star gingerly. It was as if he didn't trust himself.

Leo steadied the ladder as Nico stepped on it. He reached up high until he could wiggle the star atop the tree. Leo took the star's cord and connected it with the cord of lights on the tree. He then plugged the final cord into the wall socket, and the whole tree lit up stunningly.

The demigods stepped back to admire their work. The Christmas tree was lit up with colorful strands of bulbs. The various ornaments twinkled brilliantly in light of the star. Both boys couldn't help but feel a sudden swell of Christmas fever. They were really together, in the same room, staring at a beautiful tree. To the boys, this was a Christmas miracle.

Leo had the sudden urge to grab Nico's hand, something he had wanted to do all day. Of course he repressed that feeling. _No need to scare off the kid at this point._

From there they went to the other parts of the _Argo II._ Two hours later, the whole ship was dotted with millions of bulbs, all emitting their own colorful light. Other decorations were also hanging around the ship—tinsel, wreathes, and whatever else Leo had left over in the boxes. The _Argo II _soon went from intimidating warship to Santa's new and improved source of transportation.

When they finished, Leo rounded up the now-empty boxes and leftover decorations and shoved them in a nearby closet. He then turned to Nico, who was sipping on some herbal tea in the living room.

"So, di Angelo…"

Nico snapped his attention from the Christmas tree to his friend. He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, Valdez?"

"Want to go outside?" He gestured with his head to the porthole window.

"What for?"

"I've got something to show you." Leo exited the living room and poked his head back in a few seconds later. "Coming along?"

Nico set his tea on the table and followed Leo off the ship. He led the Ghost King to the edge of the docks, where he then proceeded to take off his shoes and sit down. Leo let his feet skim the surface of the cool water.

Nico copied his friend. Both boys sat there for a few minutes, just taking in the whole day. Nico still couldn't believe he was here. It was just yesterday when he was sitting in the Poseidon cabin, wondering what he would be doing as most his friends departed for home. And now he was in South Carolina with Leo Valdez, who made it his personal duty to give Nico the best Christmas ever. It was more like a dream than anything.

"What did you want to show me?" Nico asked, breaking the silence.

Leo pointed to the horizon. The sun was making its decline, the sky tinted with orange. Wisps of clouds were cotton candy pink. The whole atmosphere felt like it dropped a few degrees. The breeze made the air feel chilly.

"I hear the sunset is really pretty out here," Leo said sheepishly. "I know, I know—I'm a sixteen year old boy watching a sunset. There's got to be something wrong with me." He glanced sideways at Nico. "But I felt like you would be able to appreciate it too."

Nico could tell the son of Hephaestus was a little embarrassed. But he couldn't have been more right—Nico was one to enjoy the little beautiful things in life, even when most didn't. That's something that most people didn't know about him. Nico wondered how Leo managed to figure that out. _Lucky guess? _

Nico didn't say anything in response. Leo eased his tension, obviously taking Nico's silence as approval. Within minutes the sun hit the horizon line and soon disappeared behind the ocean as if it were a tabletop. The sky soon turned a dark shade of blue and Leo stood up and clapped.

"Wonderful!" he applauded. "Absolutely wonderful!"

"Yeah," Nico admitted, "it was nice."

The boys made their way back to the _Argo II _and spent the rest of the day by themselves. Leo manned the helm, humming Spanish Christmas carols while gulping down several cups of hot chocolate. Nico finished his (now cold) herbal tea by the roaring fire. After he was done, he set the empty cup in the sink and headed to his cabin.

Upon opening the door, the present on his bed immediately caught Nico's attention. It was messily wrapped in green wrapping paper and what could have easily been two pounds of clear tape. Nico ripped the note off the present and unfolded it.

_Nico,_

_Day 2. Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. _

_How was your day, my Ghost King? I certainly had a lot of fun! You have to admit, we had some good times, and all in just one single day! I think this is a good omen for the rest of our trip. Two days down, ten more to go. Let's see what else the Christmas Fates have in store for us._

_Here's your present! I actually can't take credit for it: Hazel was the one to knit it. But I came up with the idea, so it's my gift to you. When I asked her, Hazel was really confused, but that wonderful girl will do just about anything you ask her to do._

_Merry 2__nd__ Day of Christmas!_

_Leo_

_Oh, and P.S: Hazel made me one too._

Nico set the note back on the bed and carefully tore open the present. Inside a box sat a perfectly knitted sweater. It was black and patterned with white skulls. Nico threw the sweater over his head and straightened it out on his body. It was warm and cozy—something Nico normally wouldn't wear. But as he admired the sweater in the mirror, Nico couldn't help but grow attached to it. _Leo has one too?_

Nico fell asleep that night in his warm and comfortable new sweater. He dared not part with it just yet.

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**~Serena**


	3. Baking Wars

**I decided to be generous and put up the third chapter (actually I just got really excited but whatever those are just technicalities). Please review, favorite, and/or follow this story, as it would boost my self-esteem and make me want to write even more! ^-^ **

**Also, I will often post updates on my profile to how the story is coming along and what chapter I am currently working on (so far, I have 6 of the 12 written. Not too shabby, although I really wanted to be done by now. Things aka school got in the way). **

**Enjoy! Remember to review!**

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

Baking Wars

Day: 3

"Come on, Valdez. Tell me where we are."

"Can't just yet. It's a surprise. I want to reveal this location in a grand ceremony!"

"We don't have all Christmas. Just one day."

"I know, I know. We're almost there. Keep on the blindfold! Stop messing with it!"

"Whatever. Can we go any faster?"

"You're dying of excitement, aren't you?"

"Someone will be dying here if he doesn't _hurry up._"

"All right. We're here!"

The blindfold was slowly peeled from Nico's face. He blinked a couple times until his eyes readjusted to the brightness. His eyes widened at the scenery displayed before him.

A large palace-like building stood tall and proud in the center of a plaza. Its wide arches and tall columns supported the three glistening golden domes above. A large statue of a winged creature sat atop the largest and most center dome. Intricate designs of whirls and swoops were engraved within each arch. The pale marble shone brilliantly in the sun, and Nico had to squint just to gaze upon its beauty. On both sides of the building were bronze statues of pegasi in mid-gallop and identical statues on the other side of the plaza.

"Where are we?" Nico asked, tearing his eyes away from the stunning building and toward his friend. Around them were bustling tourists, much like the ones in South Carolina. However, these tourists seemed to be speaking in a mixture of English and Spanish. The hot sun beat down on the inhabitants of this location, causing everyone to sweat profusely. Nico shrugged off his aviator jacket and tied the sleeves around his waist, securing the article of clothing at his hip. He looked down at his black T-shirt and suddenly wished he had a more colorful wardrobe.

Leo ran a few yards ahead of Nico. He jumped and spun around at the same time, sticking his landing and spreading his arms wide as if he had just finished an extravagant tap dance. He shouted "Ta-da!" and grinned so wide Nico was afraid his lips would fall off his face. Leo was so excited and proud that anyone could have mistaken him for the owner of the building behind him.

"Welcome to_ El Palacio de Bellas Artes_!" Leo said in perfect Spanish dialect.

It clicked in Nico's mind after a second. He raised his eyebrows more in amusement than surprise. "We're in Mexico City."

"That is correct, mi amigo," Leo bowed to Nico and strutted back to his friend. He held out his arm, expecting Nico to hook his through at the elbow, but the son of Hades ignored the gesture. He walked toward the palace in awe.

"Wow," he breathed. "It's…gorgeous."

"I know I am," Leo said, wiggling his eyebrows. Nico shot him a deathly glare and then turned his attention back to the Palace of Fine Arts.

"So…what exactly _is _this palace?"

Leo stalked over to a pegasus statue and leaned against it, crossing one leg over another. Nico tried not to stare, but he couldn't help but notice how Leo's lean figure seemed a little bulkier. It was as if he was finally growing into his clothes, which no longer hung off him like raggedy hand-me-downs. Leo was definitely gaining some muscle. Nico figured that it was unfair to call him scrawny anymore.

"In English, it's called the Palace of Fine Arts," Leo began, snapping Nico out of his trance. "It's a huge cultural center of Mexico. It was officially opened in 1934 and became a center for art—operas, dances, literature, plays, art shows, and a whole lot more. It's a huge tourist attraction and really shows a lot of Mexican culture."

Leo sounded like he was reading off a tourism website. It occurred to Nico that maybe he memorized one instead.

"Why here?" Nico blurted.

Leo shrugged and started walking toward the palace. He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I thought you may appreciate the art. Plus, the palace gives a few nods to Greek and Roman mythology. Look—those are pegasus statues! And I'm pretty sure the god Apollo makes a cameo appearance inside the palace somewhere."

Nico shrugged, but on the inside he was jittery with excitement. Hilton Head was one thing, but _Mexico City?_ That was a whole other league of cool! Leo was truly serious about traveling the world. Nico couldn't wait to find out where he'd end up tomorrow or the next day or the day after that…

"Come on!" Leo tugged Nico along like a little kid would to his parent. "Let's go be art critics for a day!"

* * *

Leo was right—Apollo and his muses stared down at the demigods from the domed ceiling above. Colorful murals lined the walls of the palace, each depicting something entirely unique from the others. The architecture on the inside was even more amazing then the exterior. There were a few levels to the palace, and it took Leo and Nico at least two hours to get through everything. By the time they were finished, it was late morning.

After the palace, the demigod duo headed over to the ruins of the Templo Mayor, or the Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlán. Leo explained how it was one of the main pyramids of the Aztecs in their capital of Tenochtitlán. Nico wasn't big on Mesoamerican studies, but the history of the Templo Mayor fascinated him. The ruins reminded him of some of the tourist attractions back in Greece, which flooded him with nostalgic memories. Leo, quickly sensing his friend's change in emotion, suggested they leave the ruins.

Leo and Nico found themselves unwillingly sucked onto a tourist bus, thanks to them getting mobbed inside a crowd of people. The bus then shuttled them over to a large and ancient-looking castle 25 minutes away. It's low and flat, stone-built body sat upon a hill and loomed over the city below. The Mexican flags blew in the wind atop the castle, radiating a sense of dominance over the area. Nico and Leo were dropped off inside the castle grounds, which was littered with tourists. The boys took in the stone pavement below them and the high arches at the other end of the small courtyard.

"I don't suppose you know where we are now," Nico muttered, his hands brushing against the hilt of his Stygian iron sword. No matter Leo's constant pestering, Nico absolutely forbid the sword to leave his side. He didn't want to be caught off guard if a hellhound or Cyclops were to crash the demigods' Ultimate Christmas Vacation.

Leo scanned the castle grounds around him. It was designed with Mexican architecture and was obviously a bazillion years old. The browning stone gave off a strange eeriness, which spooked Leo a bit. The whole castle just screamed _Ghost Hunters. _

"I believe this is _El Castillo de Chapultepec_, or the Chapultepec Castle," Leo said, studying the attraction surrounding him. "It's the really old Mexican castle of Emperor Maximilian I and Empress Carlota. There are only two Royal Castles in the Americas, and Chapultepec is one of them."

Nico turned to face his friend. He could tell the gears in Leo's head were turning as he studied the architecture of the castle. He was almost as bad as Annabeth with this kind of stuff. But that's not what shocked Nico so much—he was used to Leo's mechanical side, and what he wasn't used to, however, was the side of Leo that was actually filled with textbook information. Normally Leo could spit out practical info, but it wasn't often that Leo could give you a textbook definition of something.

"Did you research this place before we came here or something?"

Leo sheepishly avoided Nico's gaze. "I managed to find some brochures online."

It was a lot more than that, Nico could tell. But the son of Hades decided to drop the subject. For some reason, Leo had gone to all lengths in order to learn about the destinations the demigods were venturing to during Christmas vacation. Nico didn't particularly know why, but to say the least, he was impressed.

They walked about the castle, which was now a museum. They admired the fascinating history of royalty in Mesoamerica and the wonders of the castle itself. The boys were so used to royalty pertaining to the gods of Olympus or the ancient kings and queens of Greece and Rome; they almost forgot that there were lives outside of mythology.

After the tour Nico and Leo were able to hitch a ride home with a random Mexican family. They spoke in rapid Spanish along the way but Leo was able to pick up most of the conversation. The father, who was driving, asked Leo where they wanted to be dropped off and where their parents were and why they were all alone. The mother in the passenger seat scolded her husband for being so patronizing toward the teenagers. Two young boys sat on either side of Leo and Nico on the inside of the car. The one kept pulling Leo's hair while the other asked in poor English about Nico's "plastic toy sword" (the Mist worked wonders sometimes). To anyone else, the car ride would have been annoying. But to Nico and Leo, it was a reminder of what life was like before they discovered they were demigods, with real parents and real siblings and real family car trips and real conversations that were actually _normal_. They both secretly enjoyed the trip back to the Palace of Fine Arts.

They requested to be dropped off in the courtyard in front of the palace. The family bid them farewell and drove off in the opposite direction. Nico looked up. The _Argo II _was still floating above them, carefully concealed by the manipulation of the Mist. It was now mid-afternoon and the sun was hotter than ever. Being December didn't stop the sun in Mexico City. It was probably near 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Nico wiped the sweat off his forehead and flipped his black shaggy bangs out of his eyes. Suddenly Nico caught Leo staring at him. He raised an eyebrow and Leo quickly snatched his eyes away from the son of Hades.

_Gods, what is up with that kid? _Nico wondered.

Before he could say anything, Nico found himself being dragged to a restaurant a few blocks away. They sat down and ate an authentic Mexican meal. Nico wasn't usually a fan of Latin American cuisine, but he actually enjoyed his food. He could have ordered seconds or even thirds but then Leo asked for the bill, and after everything was paid, Nico was forced back into the heat.

They took a long walk around the city, admiring the busy tourist traffic and the wonderful buildings. It actually looked a lot like congested cities back in America, minus the obvious Mexican influences, like some of the architecture and culture. A colossal mountain range spanned the area in the distance. A variety of buildings of different sizes and colors surrounded the boys as they made their way throughout the city. They stopped by many street vendors and gift shops—they didn't buy anything, but Nico could have sworn he saw Leo discretely shove a bag into his magic tool belt. He said nothing of it.

They stopped at a few more tourist sights: most of them museums and cathedrals. Nico was surprised when Leo actually looked interested inside these historic places. He would often point out cool facts about pieces of art, people's lives, and Latino customs. Nico listened as Leo spoke. He didn't say it, but he was actually more fascinated with Leo's vast knowledge of Mexico City than Frida Kahlo's artwork or the rituals of Catholic cathedrals. How could one sixteen year old know so much about things that should mean nothing to him? It wasn't like he had random cue cards placed strategically around these places anyhow.

Was it possible that Leo did all this for Nico? If so, why was he trying to impress him? What motivated him to memorize random historical facts of Mexico City in order to show off to the son of Hades?

And then Nico came to a haunting realization. Leo didn't actually _need _to do all this stuff to win over Nico. Leo practically had Nico in the palm of his hand—this was all just extra work.

* * *

Back at the _Argo II_, the boys settled themselves inside the wonderful air-condition. Once they felt like they could breathe normally again, Leo clapped his hands together.

"I've got a job for you to do," he said, "and I need it done right now."

"I thought this was a _vacation_," Nico whined.

Leo laughed. "Nah man, this is different. Come on, I'll show you!"

They ended up back in the kitchen. Leo started pulling bowls, pans, spoons, and whisks out of drawers. He grabbed flour, eggs, butter, and various other ingredients out of the pantry and refrigerator. Nico watched in amazement as Leo quickly threw everything together on the counter; he knew exactly where _everything _was. It was as if Leo had been planning this, and in part of his preparation he memorized the location of every item. In less than two minutes everything needed in order to bake homemade cookies was out on the kitchen counter.

"Chef di Angelo," Leo said, bowing to his partner-in-crime. "Shall we bake?"

Nico wasn't much of a chef. Back then Bianca was always the one to bake little treats like brownies and cookies and cupcakes. Nico used to try to help but he'd always manage to mess something up. But as Leo pulled on a black apron that said "CHEF LEO," Nico began to feel drawn to the idea of baking. He certainly _did _like cookies, after all…

"I didn't think you would like an apron," Leo said while rummaging through the back pantry. "So I got you this hat instead."

Leo plopped a stereotypical white chef's hat on top Nico's head. Nico figured it had "CHEF NICO" displayed on it, and when he felt the embroidery underneath his fingertips he knew he was correct. At first he was insanely embarrassed—he was a son of _Hades_, after all. But once he took a good look at Leo, he realized that the son of Hephaestus—whose father was the manly and macho god of the forge—looked just as ridiculous. Besides, no one else was onboard the ship. It was just Nico and Leo—along with the table Buford and the head of once-mechanical dragon Festus—gently floating above Mexico City.

Leo took Nico's silence as an "okay" to go forth with the plan. He pulled a cookie recipe out of his tool belt and began adding the ingredients at random. Nico watched as Leo carelessly added butter and water to the flour. It was only a full thirty seconds before Nico had to intervene.

"All right, move it along," Nico said as he gently pushed Leo aside. He read the directions and gingerly added each ingredient to the bowl. Leo stood off to the side and drummed his hands on his thighs in a total ADHD kind of way. Nico noticed how Leo's hands always seemed to be moving or doing something. In a weird sense, Nico actually found that habitual practice of Leo a bit endearing.

_Snap out of it_, Nico scolded himself. _Just bake the damn cookies. _

Nico suddenly felt something hit his ear. It felt cool and fluffy like a puff of a cloud. He swiped at the side of his head and watched as bits of flour fell to the ground. Nico whirled around to find Leo holding in fits of laughter, his right hand coated in flour up to his wrist.

Leo finally burst into full-blown laughter. "You gotta see yourself man! I totally got you!"

Nico narrowed his eyes. It wasn't often someone declared war on a child of Hades. As Nico slowly dipped his hands into the bag of leftover flour, Leo began to regret his decision.

"Uh, now wait a minute," Leo wavered. He raised his hands in defense and slowly walked backwards. His eyes widened as his back rammed into the cool metal of the oven. "Let's just talk this out…"

"I think we're past the 'talking' phase," Nico said mischievously. He stalked over to Leo, the flour seeping through the cracks of his fingers and falling to the floor below. Leo couldn't help but break out into another smile. He knew what was coming, and he couldn't say he wouldn't enjoy it.

The next thing Leo knew, his whole face was coated in soft flour. He spit some out of his mouth and rubbed his eyelids clean. As he peeled his eyes open, he was met with an empty room.

Leo sprinted to the flour bag and grabbed a handful. He scanned the viewable areas of the mess hall and kitchen for the pale son of Hades, but he was nowhere to be found. Before he knew it, there was a flash of black hair out of the corner of his eye. He whirled around, his arsenal of flour at the ready. Another flash—this time to his right. He spun on his heels, but again was met with nobody in sight.

His vision was suddenly blurred with whiteness and the son of Hephaestus found himself shaking flour out of his hair again, powdery white flakes floating leisurely to the floor. He jumped back and twirled around to find Nico clutching his abdomen as he was succumbed with laughter.

"Oh gods," Nico laughed, "I got you so—"

He was silenced with a puff of flour to the face. Now the tables were turned, and it was Leo's turn to howl with laughter. Nico narrowed his eyes and lunged at his friend, knocking his hat off in the process. Leo was knocked back and the two fell over the kitchen counter. The bag of flour went spilling everywhere. The two demigods scrambled to scoop a handful off the ground. They attacked each other with such ferocity anyone would think they were in a serious brawl. But the fight was nothing but mere playfulness. They were just very competitive.

The boys began feeling very weary and soon the fighting stopped all together. Nico was again on top of Leo, who gave him a cheeky grin while underneath the son of Hades' weight. Nico grumbled something and rolled off Leo. The boys stood up. The whole bag of flour was emptied out on the floor, and now they were standing in an ankle-deep pile. It reminded the boys of snow, and Leo had the sudden urge to make flour angels or a flour-man. He looked back at the bowl on the counter and remembered their unmade cookies. Maybe they could do those things some other day.

Nico picked up his chef hat, wiped it off, and placed it back on his head. He then grabbed the bowl and stared at its contents. "I think we have enough in here to make a batch," he stated. Leo tried not to look surprised. Nico was actually _interested _and wanted to keep making the cookies. Huh.

The boys pulled all the remaining ingredients together and put them in the bowl. They mixed everything together until they fused into cookie dough. Leo dumped half a bag of chocolate chips into the dough, and once they were stirred in nicely, they formed the dough into balls and laid them out on a cookie sheet. By the time the demigods put the pan into the oven, they were tired from all the baking.

The kitchen was still a mess. Leo grabbed two brooms from a supply closet and the boys set to work, silently sweeping up the flour. Once they were finished and everything was spotless the oven timer went off, signaling the cookies being done. Leo opened up the oven door and was hit with the overwhelming smell of delicious chocolate chip cookies. Leo set the pan on the stove and both boys had to restrain themselves from eating them just yet.

"They're still hot," Leo noted, poking at a soft and fluffy cookie.

"Aren't you immune to fire?" Nico pointed out. "Shouldn't you be okay with scorching hot cookies?"

Leo shrugged. "I'm not sure. Either way, I'll wait for you." Suddenly, an idea popped into Leo's brain. He held up a finger. "Hold on. I'll be back!"

Leo ripped off his apron and disappeared, running what Nico assumed was his cabin. He was certainly taking his time, and once he returned, Nico was already munching on a cookie. Leo scrunched his eyebrows in an adorable little way.

"Hey," he said, sticking his bottom lip out with a pouty face. "I was gonna wait for _you_."

Nico held up the OK sign with his fingers. "Baked to perfection."

Leo snatched a cookie and shoved it in his mouth. Melted warm chocolate filled his taste buds. Leo gave a "thumbs up" sign, clearly pleased with their work.

It was at that moment when Nico realized that Leo was wearing a sweater. It was navy blue and patterned with little campfires. In Leo's other hand was Nico's skull sweater. Nico gently took it out of Leo's hand and slipped it over his head.

They put the rest of the cookies on a plate and brought them over to the living room. They sat next to each other on the couch right in front of the roaring fire. Buford hopped in the room with mugs of hot cocoa on his head (could that even be considered his head? He was a table, after all.) The boys each gratefully took a cup and sipped on the steaming hot drink while munching on the delicious treats. They stared at the fire and the Christmas tree and engaged in some small talk. It was very relaxing—probably one of the most relaxing things Nico had ever done.

"Are you having fun so far?" Leo asked.

"Yeah," Nico said, not able to keep the surprised tone out of his voice. "I was not expecting all this, that's for sure."

Leo rubbed the back of his neck—something he always did when he was nervous, Nico noted. "I, uh, hope I didn't freak you out with the tours earlier today," Leo said bashfully.

"What do you mean?" Nico said. "I actually thought it was pretty cool. I never took you for a history buff."

"I'm really not," Leo admitted. "But I did some research before the trip. I'll be your tour guide from now on."

"I couldn't ask for a better one."

Leo glanced at Nico, who had just realized what he said. The son of Hades hoped there wasn't redness splashed over his pale cheeks. That was the bad thing about having such a pale complexion—it was obvious when he was embarrassed.

But Leo was a cool guy, and Nico knew he shouldn't feel embarrassed around him. Leo sure liked to joke a lot, but Nico couldn't remember the last time the son of Hephaestus purposefully made fun of him. Leo really was more thoughtful than expected.

Later that night, Nico found another note on his bed. It read:

_Nico,_

_Day 3. Location: Mexico City, Mexico._

_Gods, we got a little carried away with our flour battle, didn't we? Whatever, it was actually a lot of fun. We both have a little competitiveness to ourselves. I like that. It keeps it more interesting. _

_Hope you had fun in Mexico! Make sure you hang up this next gift on our tree! Adíos, mi amigo._

_Oh, and buenas noches. _

_Love,_

_Leo_

Nico unwrapped this next gift, which he found beside the note. He was wondering what "it" was that Leo mentioned. _It keeps it interesting._ It. What was _it?_

Nico took the lid off a small white box. Inside was a Christmas tree ornament. It was flat with a map of the world on it. On top of the world sat a red Santa hat. When Nico looked closely at the map, he saw three small stars hand-painted on it: one on San Francisco (Camp Jupiter), one on New York City (Camp Half-Blood), and one on Mexico City (their current location). Nico turned the ornament over. On the back in messy handwriting the words _Leo and Nico's Ultimate Christmas Vacation _were scrawled on the back. It was a really simple gift, but beautiful in so many ways.

Nico finished that night with hanging the ornament on the tree, pleased with what joy this Christmas season had brought to him so far.

* * *

**Don't forget to review, favorite, and/or follow this story! Thank you for reading!**

**~Serena**


	4. From Monsters to Children

**Well it's New Years Eve, so a very Happy New Years to all of you! Thank you to those who have reviewed and favorited this story (not too sure "favorited" is a word. A squiggly has been placed underneath it...hmmm...)**

**Anyway, here's chapter four! Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

From Monsters to Children

Day: 4

Leo figured their luck with avoiding monsters would run out sooner or later, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly. They were only on the fourth day of their Christmas vacation when the pack of hellhounds attacked.

Leo heard the growling come from above him. He jumped out of bed, pulled on his magic tool belt, and sprinted out of his cabin. He was soon met with the sight of four shaggy haired hellhounds. They were lurking above deck, sniffing for the onboard demigods. They blocked Leo's pathway to the helm of his ship, where the Archimedes sphere should have been. Leo wondered if the magical device was broken and shuddered at the idea.

_But what else would explain the hellhounds? _Leo asked himself. _The ship is wired to be protected from mythological creatures. Nothing should have been able to get on here!_

Leo grumbled something under his breath. Suddenly four giant heads were looking at Leo as if he were a tasty treat. The son of Hephaestus gulped and quickly drew a flaming hammer from his belt. Leo knew he didn't look all that intimidating with his plaid pajama pants and the tool belt hanging off his hip, but maybe his weapon would do the trick.

The hellhounds growled in response. Leo didn't know how he was going to handle all four of them, but he hoped for the best. If he could get to the helm of his ship he might be able to use his ballistae against the monsters. But then there was the risk of damaging the _Argo II _in the process.

What he needed was help. He desperately did _not _want to call for backup, but Leo knew he was left with no choice. Before the hellhounds could attack, Leo grabbed a megaphone from his belt.

"Hey, you ugly monsters!" Leo shouted through the megaphone. He only hoped he was loud enough for Nico to hear below deck. "Get off my ship!"

One of the hellhounds pounced. Leo steadied himself and swung his hammer. The hellhound managed to slide out of the way, only to then be hit in the side with the megaphone, which Leo flung wildly. The giant hound stumbled deliriously. Leo then threw his hammer like a boomerang. The tool hit the hellhound hard on the head, and as it fell to the ground, it evaporated into monster dust.

"Yeah!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Take that you smelly dog!"

The remaining three hellhounds did not appreciate the murder of their comrade. Leo dove to the side as two of the hounds jumped at him. He managed land in the midst of monster dust, several feet away from the hounds. He began to crawl in the opposite direction when the doors to the top deck burst open.

In a split second, Nico was able to slash his way through both hellhounds, killing them instantly. He raised his Stygian iron sword at the final hound. It lowered its head and growled threateningly at Nico but kept its distance. Nico then focused part of his attention on Leo.

"Are you okay?" Nico called.

Leo grabbed his hammer and stood up, brushing the dust off his bare chest. Leo just now realized how he was practically half-dressed. Nico pretended not to notice it.

"I'm fine," Leo grumbled. His body shuddered in the cool dawn air. "Do you wanna finish this one off, or shall I?"

"Why don't we both do the honors?" Nico said, his creepy son-of-Hades-smile appearing on his face. This only caused Leo to shudder even more.

Leo's hammer erupted into flames again as he raised it. He pounded the flaming tool against the palm of his hand. "Sounds good to me."

This time the demigods took the offensive. They lunged at the final hellhound, slashing and hacking at the tuffs of fur. After a quick battle, Nico was finally able to distract the hound as Leo finished it off. It wailed defiantly and then disappeared in a wall of monster ash. Nico and Leo fist bumped each other.

"Well done," Leo applauded. "We make a great monster slaying duo."

"We do," said Nico admittedly. Then his expression turned hard. "Wait—how did the monsters manage to get onboard?"

Leo put out his fire and shoved the hammer back into his tool belt. He stalked over to the helm, hiking up his belt and pajama pants as he did so. He stabbed his fingers at seemingly random buttons, although he obviously knew what he was doing. He muttered a few incoherent things to himself. Nico became worried.

"What's going on?" Nico asked, leaning over the control panel.

"I should be able to fix it," Leo said, more to himself than to Nico. "It's the Archimedes sphere. I think it malfunctioned a little."

"A _little_?" Nico said incredulously. "Valdez, monsters were able to infiltrate the ship! We're lucky we handled the situation. It could have been much worse."

"I know, I know," snapped Leo. He then moaned and rubbed hid his face behind his hands. "I'm sorry, Nico. I'm truly sorry! All I wanted was to make this the best Christmas ever, and then I screwed it up! How can I be so stupid?!"

Nico's face softened. He didn't mean for Leo to be so stressed out—he hadn't screwed everythingup, after all. Actually, he had been amazing throughout the whole vacation! They managed to get through almost three full days of utmost fun! Leo didn't deserve what he was putting himself through.

"Leo, I didn't mean it like that," Nico said. "You didn't know this was going to happen, so it couldn't have been your fault."

Leo still didn't look convinced.

Nico sighed audibly. "Listen—is the Archimedes sphere fixable?"

"Yes," mumbled Leo. "I should be able to fix it."

"Okay," Nico said. "Go fix it."

Leo warily looked back to Nico. "What?"

"Go fix the sphere," repeated Nico. "If you can fix it, then why are moping around? You didn't screw anything up—you just need to fix a problem. There's no other person on earth who is better than you at what you do. So instead of feeling bad for yourself, why don't you fix the damn sphere?"

It was a strange pep talk at that, but it did lighten up Leo's spirits. He retrieved a screwdriver out of his tool belt and took the sphere off the control panel.

"You're right," Leo said as he began working at the device. "This isn't my fault."

Nico nodded. "Good." He began to walk away.

"Hey—Nico?"

The son of Hades turned around. "Yeah?"

"You sure you still want to travel with me?" Leo asked quietly. "I understand if you don't want to…"

"Leo," Nico said, "will it be safe?"

"Huh?"

"After you fix the sphere, will we be safe?"

Leo gazed at his control panel. "The ship's magical barriers should be up-and-running once I'm done tweaking a few things inside the sphere. So, yeah—we should be safe."

Nico nodded his head again. "Well in that case, don't count me out of these adventures just yet."

Leo smiled to himself as he set back to work.

* * *

It was noon when Leo finally rested the Archimedes sphere back in its place on the control panel. He wiped the perspiration off his forehead. Behind him, Buford creakily waddled to the helm, a glass of cold water on his head (again, was it truly his _head_?). Leo gratefully downed the water in three big gulps.

"Thanks, little buddy," Leo said, patting Buford. He gave the glass back to the mechanical tabletop and Buford disappeared from the helm.

Leo straightened his back, stretching his tight muscles. He leaned against his control panel, the Archimedes sphere between his elbows. He stared down at the old, Greek device scornfully.

"You just had to break," he mumbled. "Everything was going _so well_, too. I was finally getting him to like me! And you had to screw things up."

"Talking to inanimate objects again?"

Leo spun around on his heels, only to be met by the one and only Nico di Angelo. He was suddenly _very _aware of his bare chest, sweat dotting his torso like rain drops on a window pane. His arms quickly wrapped themselves around his body, self-consciously drawing himself inward. His eyes wouldn't meet Nico's.

"I had Buford bring you something to drink," Nico said, stalking over to the control panel. He gently rested a thin hand on the Archimedes sphere.

"Oh," Leo stammered. "Thanks."

Nico glanced back at the sphere. "It looks as good as new."

"It should be," Leo said, almost returning back to normal. Mechanical talk was always his comfort zone. "I worked all morning on it. This constant traveling must have blown a fuse inside it. I'm glad I had all the necessary parts here." He tapped the lopsided belt at his side.

Nico looked at him. "It's a magical tool belt. I wouldn't expect it to do anything else."

Leo shrugged. "All I'm saying is we're lucky. This could have been a lot worse."

Nico turned his attention to the blue sky before them. They were high above the clouds, no ground visible below them. He liked the view up there—it was peaceful and calming and full of pure tranquility. It was a wonderful sight.

"Has this delayed us at all?"

Leo scratched at his head. "Well, half our day is gone already." He pulled a crumbled note from his belt and unfolded it with clammy hands. "I'll have to rewrite our schedule for Day 4. I'm really sorry, man—I'm gonna have to take at least three things off the list in order to fit in the important stuff. Gods, this sucks major monster butt."

He wasn't blaming himself, which was a start; but Leo Valdez still felt horrible for what happened on the fourth day of Leo and Nico's Ultimate Christmas Vacation. But how could he have anticipated the hellhound attack or the failure of the Archimedes sphere? In retrospect, it was impossible for him to have detected such a fate.

"It won't happen again—will it?" Nico said, a hint of worry lining his voice.

Leo shook a few Wii remotes, propelling the _Argo II_ higher in the air. "It's not just fixed—it's new and improved. The system I'm using to make the _Argo II _fly insanely fastis only in a beta state. Now I think I've got the hang of it. We should be smooth-sailing from now on."

Nico didn't doubt his words one bit. If anything knew something about mechanics, it was Leo.

Leo returned to flipping a few switches at the helm. It was amazing how he knew exactly where everything was.

"We should be docked in an hour," he said as he worked at the control panel. He then looked at Nico with a smile. "You'll like this one."

* * *

How could something this beautiful not be manmade? It was so natural, so stunning—impossible to be made out of nature—especially if that nature was Mother Earth herself.

That was exactly what was going through Leo's mind as he leaned over the icicled railing, staring into the abyss that was the banks of the grand waterfalls. Besides the Niagara Falls themselves, everything in sight appeared to be frozen. There were ice formations created by mist along the banks of the falls and river. The ground beneath them was slippery with black ice—that kind of clear ice that you didn't know was there until it was too late.

Leo and Nico were bundled in ginormous jackets, like the ones Leo had seen in pictures of people in Antarctica. Their hoods were pulled up over their heads to keep dry from the freezing spray of the falls. They also wore matching black sunglasses—despite it being freezing, the sun still shone stubbornly in the sky. The wind chill by the falls kept eating at Nico and Leo's faces, so the glasses also helped protect their eyes.

As Nico watched the falls spill into the bay below, he couldn't help but think of Percy. _Percy would like this,_ his mind said. _He'd love this. _Then, as he let his thoughts drift, he realized Annabeth would like this too. _She'd have a few comments about the manmade modifications that are now part of the waterfalls. _This would be the perfect date for those two.

Over time, Nico had come to terms with Percy and Annabeth's relationship. Sure, at first it had hurt a lot. Seeing Percy happy with another person had made him crumble into nothing on the inside. He had been bitter toward Percy and especially toward Annabeth, all because he couldn't get what he wanted. Nico had failed to realize that although he loved Percy, Percy loved him too—just in a different, special kind of way. Nico now knew that that was probably for the best. Besides, if Nico hadn't been heartbroken over Percy, he might have never been on this Christmas vacation with Leo.

With a gloved hand Leo pointed toward the falls and shouted in glee.

"This is incredible!"

Nico couldn't help but smile. He began to love Leo's childish manner.

"Yeah, it is."

"I wonder what it's like during the summer," Leo wondered. He leaned his head against his hand.

"Maybe we'll have to find out for ourselves."

Nico didn't mean to say that aloud, but seeing Leo grin even wider made him feel better. He _hadn't _been lying when he said it, anyway. He actually would want to come back, maybe in the summertime to see what the falls looked like then. Obviously Leo wanted to do the same thing. Maybe they could have another vacation, this time in the summer. Maybe everyone could come—Jason, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Hazel, Frank, even Coach and his wife. They could have an Ultimate Summer Vacation. Nico suddenly grew very excited.

Nico broke out of his heartwarming thoughts at the sound of an angry voice.

"No…no, I'm sorry, but I just _can't_." The voice was frustrated and tired. Nico and Leo turned around to see a very stressed-out man standing a few feet away from them, talking on his cell phone while running a hand through his graying hair. He paced back and forth, not even paying attention to the marveling site before him.

"We have a shortage of workers," the man continued hastily. "Many of them are out on vacation and we just can't find others. With no workers, we have no people to drive the delivery trucks. How are we supposed to get all these toys out there?"

Leo was a naturally curious person, and this conversation baffled him. Without a word, he walked up to the man, who was shutting his phone frustratingly after ending his conversation. He raised his eyebrow at the oncoming teenager, and before he could say anything, the Latino kid opened his mouth.

"What's this about toys?" he asked. "I like toys."

"Beat it, kid," the man grumbled. "It's nothing."

He started to walk away, but Leo caught up with him. He walked backwards as he talked.

"It didn't sound like nothing," Leo noted.

"Why do you care?"

"Maybe I can help."

"How could _you _help?" the man guffawed. "You're just a kid."

If Leo had a dime for every time he heard that, he would be able to _buy _a second magical flying warship. He absolutely hated it when people underestimated him. He had defeated monsters, saved many of his friends and comrades, and battled it out with giants and even Mother Earth herself. He managed to build a giant warship and repair a haywire bronze dragon. Leo Valdez could do a lot for a teenager, but mortals would never know, including this guy.

"You'd be surprised at what I can do," Leo said finally. He looked at the man, expecting a challenge. Instead, the man stopped in the middle of the walkway and sighed.

"I run this toy donation business," the man explained. "Every year around Christmas time I get volunteers to distribute the toys around the falls area. A lot of underprivileged kids come to the free Christmas light shows that are put on here. However, this year I have a shortage of volunteers. I only have two people to drive two trucks—not _nearly _enough for the amount of toys I need to give out to these kids. I don't know what to do." The man looked down at his shoes, clearly thinking of himself as a failure. Leo sympathized with him.

"So, tell me how _you're _going to help," the man said sarcastically.

Leo's eyes twinkled. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

The man looked at him suspiciously. "Oh really? And what's that?"

"Can't tell you," Leo rambled. "Involves a flying ship. Some magic. You know, the good stuff."

"I don't have time for this," the man muttered, pushing past Leo. But Leo wasn't going to give up just yet. He grabbed the man's elbow.

"Look, man, what other options do you have? Like you said, you've got no workers, no volunteers. If I were you, I'd be jumping at an offer. I'm probably your last hope." Leo let go of the man and straightened his puffy jacket. "So, what do you say?"

The man studied Leo for the longest time. Finally, he said, "So, what's this about a flying ship?"

* * *

"Valdez, this is crazy."

"Crazy is my middle name."

"I'm pretty sure it's not."

"Jeez, Nico, it's sarcasm. Stop taking things so seriously."

"Serious is _my _middle name."

"There you go, bud."

"Where's the damn light, anyhow?"

"I'm sure I've got a flashlight in here somewhere—aha!"

_Click. _Light.

Leo swept the flashlight throughout the warehouse, the light beam passing over boxes and boxes labeled with names like _Stuffed Animals _and _Wooden Toys _and _Plastic _and _New _and _Used. _A single stack of boxes easily stood two Leos tall. The warehouse was about a football field in length, boxes in sight at all ends. Nico stepped forward and shrugged off his jacket, letting it spill to the floor in a crumpled heap.

"Gods almighty, Valdez," Nico breathed. "You sure screwed us over this time. Look how many boxes there are!"

"It'll all work out," Leo said sheepishly. He stripped out of his jacket and threw it next to Nico's. Leo casually noted how both of them were wearing their holiday sweaters. "It'll all fit on the _Argo II._"

"I'm not worried about that," Nico said. "How are we going to deliver all these toys? How _long _is it going to take? How will we conceal the _Argo II_? Dude—this is insane!"

Leo looked at Nico funny.

"What?" Nico barked, not finding the situation funny at all.

"You just said _dude, _dude."

"Shut up, Valdez. This is serious!"

"All right, all right. Look, man, you just gotta relax. I've got a plan."

"You do?" Nico asked.

Leo rested his hands on his tool belt. "They don't just call me Fire Lord Leo for nothing."

"No one calls you that."

"Whatever, man. They might as well have, because this plan is scorching hot!"

Nico fought the urge to slap Leo. How could he be so silly during a time like this? Leo promised to deliver hundreds of toys around the Niagara Falls area to kids—something Leo and Nico didn't have the ability or the time to do. This could take hours—days!

But maybe Leo did have a plan. And although Leo's plans were not known as the _safest _things in the world, they normally did turn out all right. Nico suddenly felt very selfish. He was so worried about himself and his Christmas vacation that he didn't realize how lucky he was. How many kids—kids similar to Nico, minus the son of Hades bit—had the opportunity to travel the world in a giant flying warship with one of their best friends? Those were the true underprivileged kids—not Nico.

_Whoa,_ Nico thought. _Did I just call Leo my best friend? This day is so whacked out._

"Sounds like we've got work to do," Nico said. He rolled up the sleeves to his sweater.

Leo mimicked him in rolling his sleeves. "Where shall we start?"

* * *

They spent the next several hours loading boxes onto the _Argo II_, which hovered just outside. Leo had set up a makeshift system of ropes and pulleys to help get the boxes onto the giant warship. It took a lot of manpower, especially for only two boys, but when the job was finished, Leo and Nico felt better about themselves—despite their backs aching and their muscles screaming in pain. But the demigods knew the pain was for a good cause. They weren't the only ones who deserved an awesome Christmas. Leo, having been part of the foster care system; and Nico, having lost both his mother and his sister—both boys knew what it was like to have crappy Christmases. Here was to making up for all of that.

When they were done, it was a little after six in the afternoon. Leo and Nico bundled themselves up in their jackets, threw on gloves and hats, and set out on the _Argo II. _Nico prayed to all the gods out there that this would go smoothly.

A crowd had already formed at the walkway next to the falls. Parents, children, grandparents, and strangers gathered around the falls to see the amazing show that was about to be put on. Already were lights strung up everywhere—buildings, railings, trees, and posts. As if that wasn't amazing enough, the show began. The Niagara Falls lit up fantastically, dissolving from one color into another. In the distance a series of _booms _went off as fireworks exploded in the dark sky. Leo and Nico stared at the fireworks in awe, the light reflecting off their faces. Everything seemed to progress in slow motion at that moment. It felt like a movie.

Leo snapped out of his reverie and sprinted to the nearest box. He ripped it open and brought out a stuffed bear. He leaned over the railing of the _Argo II_, quickly prayed to Hephaestus, and tossed the bear overboard. It tumbled in the air until it gently hit a child on the head. At first the little girl was dazed and confused. But then she looked at her feet and saw the stuffed bear laying there, its beady black eyes staring up at her warmly. She picked up the bear and smiled widely. She tugged on her mother's hand and showed her the stuffed animal. The mother looked at her daughter confusedly and then back at the sky above. She pointed and gasped.

"Look!" she shouted. "A plane! No—a helicopter!"

Initially only a few people around her obeyed, but soon the whole crowd was taken by shock at the big "helicopter" above them. Leo and Nico continued to shower the crowd with gifts—teddy bears, stuffed animals, dolls, hoola-hoops, balls—all sorts of things that any kid would want. Children dashed left and right, trying to get a hold of at least one toy. When all of the "softer" toys were gone, Leo and Nico dropped down from hovering warship—or "helicopter," as the mortals saw it—and began handing out other toys: puzzles, miniature racecars, electronics, board games. The two demigods laughed and smiled at the elatedness etched on the kids' faces. They got hundreds of words of thanks from children and parents alike.

The fireworks continued behind them. They were still distributing their stock of toys when a familiar face joined them.

"Wow," breathed the man from before. He shook his head wildly. "I can't believe it. You actually did it!"

"Told you I could, sir." Leo shook the man's hand.

"But—how did you get this helicopter?"

"Built it myself," said Leo proudly.

"At this rate, I'll believe just about anything that comes out of your mouth," the man said. He looked gratefully at the two boys. "I cannot thank you two enough."

"Don't sweat it," Leo said dismissively. "We just want to spread some holiday cheer."

Nico nodded in agreement. The man lingered around for a while longer, helping them hand out the toys. Leo dug through the boxes and found two Santa hats. He tugged one over his curly mop of hair and threw the other at Nico, who gingerly put it on. Now the two demigods were in the Christmas spirit.

One little boy came up and gave Leo and Nico a big hug. Another little girl curtsied at the boys and promised that they could come to her tea party later. (They politely declined, assuring the little girl that it was only because they had more gifts to deliver. She then gave up their spot at the tea table to her new stuffed animals). Two parents came by and offered their thanks to the half-bloods, admitting that they were not able to afford many gifts this year, but with the boys' act of kindness they were able to have a great Christmas. Many people came and talked to Nico and Leo as they handed out the last of their gifts, which only made the demigods feel better about themselves.

They ended the night with more fireworks and more lights. They also ended it with happy smiles on just about everyone's faces.

* * *

New day, new note. Nico picked this one up off his bed and read:

_Nico,_

_Day 4. Location: Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. _

_Sorry we didn't get to do everything I planned, but I thought passing out gifts was a nice alternative. I guess we aren't the only kids who needed cheering up for the holidays. You know, I wonder if any of those kids were demigods. We could have made a demigod's Christmas a whole lot better (and you and I both know about crappy demigod Christmases). But, hey, demigods aren't the only people with issues. Just look how many mortals we made happy!_

_I found this next gift at the bottom of one of the toy boxes. I didn't think any normal kid would want it, so I swiped it without anyone noticing. I hope you like it!_

_Love,_

_Leo_

Nico tore open the wrapping paper and was met with a thick book. _Poems by Edgar Allen Poe _it read. Nico scrunched his eyebrows at the book. The only thing by Poe he could ever remember reading would be his most famous poem _The Raven. _He wondered if he'd actually like any of his other work.

He soon fell asleep after reading poetry while sipping on hot chocolate.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. I better get writing today in order to keep up with these rapid updates. There's only two more chapters I have ready to go. I was planning to have this fic done by the end of break, but we'll see how that goes. My plans never work out the way I originally want them to. **

**Remember to review! **

**~Serena**


	5. Suits and Polaroid Photos

**Happy New Year! Here is chapter five in the middle of your celebrations. (Oh, and as an update, I finally finished chapter seven last night. I will attempt at getting chapter eight done by today. We'll see about that.) Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

Suits and Polaroid Photos

Day: 5

Nico woke to a completely empty ship. He ate breakfast alone, got ready alone, sat by the fire alone. He had checked the ship in its entirety and could not find any sign of Leo. It was when he was finally settling down in the living room that he found the note.

_Went out for a bit. Be back soon._

_Leo_

Nico tossed the note in the fire and watched it go up in flames. The crackle of the fire was relaxing. Nico couldn't feel the ship moving beneath him, so he assumed they must have been stopped at their fifth location. He had the sudden urge to look outside the porthole to get a glimpse of their new vacation spot. But he knew Leo would be upset if he did that, so he restrained himself. Instead he sipped on some herbal tea and awaited Leo's return.

Ten minutes later, footsteps were echoing in the mess hall. Nico turned around to find Leo holding two dark garment bags. They were zipped tight so Nico couldn't see inside them, although he had the faintest idea of what was inside.

"Morning, Nico," Leo said cheerfully. "Sorry about not being here. I had to make a stop."

"What are those?" Nico asked, referring to the garment bags.

Leo handed one to Nico. The bag was heavy to hold.

"Today is going to be a bit fancier than usual," Leo said mysteriously. "Go get dressed. I'm so excited!"

* * *

Nico returned to the mess hall feeling absolutely ridiculous.

He was wearing a crisp black suit with a black tie hanging loosely from his neck. His white dress shirt was sticking out a little and his sleeves weren't rolled correctly. His dark dress shoes were half a size too big, causing him to stumble here and there. His bangs fell into his eyes as he stared down at himself.

_I'm a mess, _Nico thought. _It looks like I don't know how to dress myself. _

What surprised Nico was that Leo looked the same way.

His tie was loose and crooked, his shirt only tucked in halfway, one of his shoes untied, and his hair as unkempt as ever. But somehow the look fit Leo—Nico had realized this when they were in Hilton Head Island. So, maybe Nico looked good like that too. Both boys were not the tidiest people in the world—maybe _messy _was a fashion statement for them.

"Looking good," Leo commented as Nico walked in. Nico shoved his hands into his pockets.

"You too," he said hastily. "Why do we need to be dressed up?"

"Day Five of our adventure is a bit more posh than usual," Leo said. "But that doesn't mean you won't like it!"

He rushed past Nico and stampeded to the top deck of the _Argo II_. Nico quickly followed behind him. When the boys burst into the limelight, Leo raised his arms above his head, showing off the scenery behind him.

"_Bonjour!_" he shouted. "And that's about all the French I know! Welcome to Paris!"

* * *

France was one of Nico's favorite places, he decided.

It was just after sunrise as they walked on the streets of Paris. Shop keepers were turning on the lights, opening their blinds, and sweeping the floors of their shops, preparing for business. A community of people was already bustling around the streets—not rushed like New York, but more laid back and relaxed. The sky above them was pure blue, a rarity. The streets before them were sprinkled with snow. Nico was pretty sure he was ruining these nice shoes by walking on the slushy sidewalk.

Turns out, Paris was actually colder than Leo thought. They had their big coats from Niagara Falls on over the suits, keeping them warm from the single digit weather. Despite the coats, the boys still looked entirely fancy, which Leo was glad for. He didn't want to ruin the image with the coats, but he knew they had to stay warm somehow.

"We're the only ones dressed like this," Nico said in an undertone, glancing down at the suits.

"Yep," Leo said cheerfully.

Nico raised a ghostly eyebrow. "Why?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know, man. I just felt like getting dressed up for once." He paused and glanced at Nico. "You look really nice, you know."

Nico's expression must have looked like a scowl, because Leo hesitantly said, "You don't like the suit?"

Nico softened. "No, no. That's not it."

"Then what is?"

Nico ducked inside the nearest coffee shop, pulling Leo behind him. He ordered them both a cup of hot chocolate and two croissants, which he figured he'd try as long as he was in Paris. The boys sat down at a round table. They were the only people inside besides the employees.

"I really like the suit," Nico said finally. "It was very generous of you."

"Then what's wrong?" Leo asked. "I know it's a bit cold for suits—"

"I can take the chill," interrupted Nico. _The warm coats definitely help_. But he didn't say that aloud. "What I'm worried is—thanks."

A waiter set the hot chocolate and croissants on the table before them. He nodded his head to Nico.

The son of Hades turned back to Leo. "What I'm worried is—"

"The monsters."

Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah."

"And you think the suits will attract monsters?"

"I just don't want to call any more attention to ourselves," Nico admitted. "With these suits, you're without your tool belt and I'm without my sword. We'd be monster food if anything were to attack us."

"Nico," Leo said gently—which shocked Nico. When did Leo say something so _soft _and _genuine? _"We'll be okay. We always are. No matter what the Fates throw at us—we always turn out okay."

Nico looked down. "I know."

"You gotta stop worrying, man," said Leo, returning to his normal dialect. "We're on vacation. I know the attack yesterday morning rattled you—Hades, it scared me too. But I promise you it will never happen again. The sphere is up and running like usual." He gingerly reached across the table and set his hand atop Nico's. "Just a few months ago we were running for our lives from monsters. We had Gaea as a threat, the giants as enemies. Now look at us: we're on Christmas vacation in _Paris! _Before we hadn't even expected us to make it to Christmas. I'm just amazed at how we got here. I'm still surprised you even agreed to come along with me…"

"Leo…"

"Wait." Leo focused on what he was saying next. "I—I really like you, Nico. I think you are the bravest, smartest, _coolest _demigod ever. You've got your moments where I think you're unpredictable and yeah, you scare me a bit…But I just think you're misunderstood. And I like that. I've been misunderstood for my whole entire life. I feel like we have a sort of _connection_, you know?"

Nico simply stared at Leo, blinking a few times.

Leo let out a nervous laugh. "All right, I'm being weird. This doesn't sound like me. I just want to let you know something." He looked square in Nico's eyes, forcing the son of Hades to look back. "I'm here for you, no matter what. You're one of my best friends, and I'm here for you as much as I am for the others."

"O-okay," Nico stammered. He took a deep breath and then said quietly, "I like you too."

Suddenly, another plate of croissants was placed in front of the boys. They looked up and saw their waiter grinning from ear to ear. Leo quickly took his hand off Nico's.

"We didn't order this," Leo said confusedly.

"Croissants for the happy couple!" the French waiter exclaimed.

Leo and Nico turned bright pink.

"Oh, uh, no—" stuttered Leo.

"We're not a couple," Nico said.

"But of course!" the waiter insisted. "You have defeated the monsters of love, yes? And you have heart-to-heart conversations normally, no?"

Nico realized he didn't mean legit monsters—he meant the "monsters" that could pop up in a romantic couple's relationship. Nico's blush deepened to a warm red.

"Uh…"

The waiter placed his hands on his hips. "The croissants are for you. Free of charge."

The waiter returned to the cash register behind the counter. He watched the boys eat their free food and then leave, thanking the waiter on their way out. Such an odd couple—dressing nicely despite the weather, discussing the demons of their relationship, exploring the city of Paris. They were obviously not from around here—Americans, perhaps. The waiter had seen plenty of couples come and go from his shop, but none of them were such oddballs like those two young boys. But being different was not a bad thing—they were lovely together. They completed each other.

"Ah, young love," the waiter chuckled to himself.

* * *

Their day in Paris, France, flew by almost as quickly as the _Argo II_ on a good day. The demigods ran amongst the tourists to different sites: Notre Dame de Paris, Arc de Triomphe, and a bazillion other places the boys couldn't even begin to pronounce. Nico's favorite site so far would have to have been the Louvre. No one would expect it, but Nico enjoyed art a lot. His favorite tourist attractions in each location of Leo and Nico's Ultimate Christmas Vacation would have to be the museums—especially the art museums. He had to admit, the Louvre was super cool: _the Mona Lisa was there! _Although that wasn't Nico's favorite masterpiece, it sure was a sight to see the artwork in person. To be honest, what Nico truly enjoyed the most were the mythology references within each piece of art.

The sun was setting as the boys exited the Louvre. The bitter chill of the wind was practically cutting into Nico's skin. He could see his breath in front of him. Leo however didn't seem fazed by the coldness. Maybe it was the power of fire thing—or maybe he was just faking it for Nico. Either way, the son of Hephaestus strutted ahead of Nico as if he didn't have a care in the world. At this point, he really shouldn't have.

"Are you even real, Valdez?" Nico said as he rubbed his gloved hands together. He still had his suit and coat on, which proved to be warmer than he expected, but his fingers still felt like they were going to fall off. Thank the gods Leo thought to bring along gloves.

Leo twirled around. "Come again?"

"You're not even fazed by the winter weather," Nico said.

"It's all the fire, man," Leo said nonchalantly. "It's burning within me."

"Yeah, well, the spirits inside of me are not enjoying the coldness," Nico muttered irritably.

"Stop being such a cry baby," said Leo. "I've got one more stop for us, and then we'll be back at the _Argo II _in no time." He linked is arm with Nico's, and this time the son of Hades let him. They began walking away from the Louvre.

"I'm going to die of hypothermia," Nico retorted.

Leo wiggled his eyebrows and snuggled closer to Nico. "I'll keep you warm."

Nico broke away from his friend and proceeded to punch him in the shoulder.

"Ouch," Leo said sincerely, rubbing his throbbing arm. "Let's go eat before one of us kills the other."

A ghostly smirk played out on Nico's lips. "Good choice."

* * *

Stairs were too much of a hassle, so the moment after Leo and Nico bought their tickets to the Eiffel Tower they squeezed their way into the nearest elevator. The elevator ride was long but definitely worth it—Paris at night was seriously beautiful. If the boys were given a chance to describe the site in the elevator, both of them would fall short with their answers. The city lights illuminated the area, yet stars were becoming visible in the indigo night sky. Tourists milling around below soon became tiny black specks against the white sheet of snow as the elevator climbed higher and higher. The temperature seemed to drop several degrees every few minutes, which subconsciously caused the demigods to inch closer to each other, nothing but pure body heat between them. Only when the elevator stopped did the boys realize how close they really were.

They ate dinner on the second floor. It was a bit warmer on the second floor, although Leo was suddenly regretting his decision with the suits.

_But I look good,_ he thought to himself. He glanced at Nico, who was sitting across him, eating his meal. _And he looks good. Really good. We're both pretty hot. Screw the cold weather—we're two attractive individuals wearing nice suits. That makes up for it._

Leo normally wasn't a big bowl of self-esteem, but his suit made him feel special, to say the least. He and Nico looked like important people, even though they were only teenagers. _Hades, we _are _important people._ _We've both done so much stuff for both the mortal and the mythological world. We deserve to look like we're special._

After dinner, the boys journeyed up to the third level—the observation deck. They burst out into the cold, the wind tugging at their messy hair. Leo straightened his jacket as he and Nico approached the railing of the deck. The lights of the Eiffel Tower twinkled in the night. The stars above them shone brightly on the canvas that was the clear sky. The boys leaned their elbows on the railing, taking in the bone-chilling air and the wonderful scenery displayed before them. There wasn't any other place in the world they wouldn't want to be.

"So far, this is my favorite," Nico said.

"Me too," Leo breathed. He gazed admiringly at the structures below. "I knew the Tower was going to be awesome but—this is just incredible."

"You sure know how to plan a vacation," said Nico.

Leo turned around and leaned backward against the railing. He flashed a crooked grin. "I do, don't I?"

Nico didn't have anything to say in retort. It was all the truth: Leo was seriously amazing.

"Picture time!" a voice rang out. Leo and Nico turned their heads to see a French man snapping pictures with an old Polaroid. He was positioning families and couples alike in various poses to take their photo. Once the photo printed, he handed it to the happy family or couple, rejecting any offer of money in return.

"It is my blessing," the man said in a heavy French accent.

One glimpse at Leo told Nico his friend's thoughts. His eyes grew wide.

"Oh, no," Nico protested. "Don't even dare."

"Come on!" pleaded Leo. "Just one picture!"

"I don't do pictures," Nico said.

Leo seemed to deflate. "What about all those pictures I hung on the walls of your cabin? Those are all pictures of you and your friends!"

Nico was stuck there. It wasn't like he _meant _for those pictures to be taken, although they were, and Nico would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy them. He sighed and reluctantly obliged.

"All right," he said. "One picture."

"Did somebody say _picture?_" The French photographer appeared in front of the boys, camera in hand, a sneaky grin upon his face. "I'm ready when you are!"

The boys shrugged off their jackets, much to Nico's dismay. Leo wanted this picture to show off their lovely attire, so he figured they could take the cold for a few seconds.

Leo wrapped his arm around Nico's shoulders. Nico just stared ahead at the camera awkwardly. He didn't know what to do with his hands, let alone his face. The photographer looked at them disappointedly.

"No, no," he condoned. "Not like that."

Leo took his arm off Nico. "What should we do, then?"

The photographer rubbed his thin mustache. "Curly Hair—make Pale Boy laugh."

Leo raised his eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Make him laugh."

"Uh…"

"Joke," the photographer insisted. "Crack a joke."

Leo ran his hand through his hair. "He doesn't really think I'm funny."

"Nonsense," said the photographer. "Go ahead. Make him laugh."

Leo began to step forward. "But, how—"

And in a split second, Leo placed his foot on a patch of ice and went spilling to the floor. He instinctively grabbed for the railing—except the "railing" ended up being none other than Nico di Angelo. The son of Hades yelped as he was pulled down, landing right on top of his friend.

The photographer managed to capture the picture just as the boys burst into hysterical laughter. Many tourists turned to laugh along—except it was more _at _them than _with _them. But that didn't bother Nico and Leo. The boys carefully stood back up as the crowd of giggling tourists dispersed.

"My butt hurts," Nico said.

"Tell that to my ribs," replied Leo, rubbing his side.

Both boys smiled at each other.

"Ah!" the photographer gasped. "Nice picture! Beautiful! Wonderful memories!"

The picture was beginning to show in the printed Polaroid. It was of the boys: Nico at an awkward angle atop Leo, who was flat on the ground. Both of them were mid-laugh. The photographer managed to get the city of Paris behind them, a few twinkling stars in the distance. It was certainly a picture full of "wonderful memories," as the Frenchman said.

"Thank you," Leo said. He dug in his pocket for some money, but the man insisted on declining.

"The laughter is your payment," he said, still chuckling over the photo. "I thank you." He bowed to the boys and bid them a goodnight, skipping to the other side of the deck with glee.

Leo slid the photo in his suit pocket and stared at the world behind him. "Definitely one for your room."

Nico nudged closer to Leo, following his gaze. "Definitely."

* * *

_Nico,_

_Day 5. Location: Paris, France. _

_I framed our photo and put it on your desk, if you haven't already noticed. It's probably one of my favorite pictures ever. It just shows how the best moments aren't planned like a normal picture is. You've got to capture the moments in a different way, I guess._

_Jeez, when did I turn into a cheeseball? Anyway, hope you enjoyed today. Let's come back to Paris someday!_

_Love,_

_Leo_

Today's gift was a box of chocolates and other assorted candies. Somehow Leo managed to figure out that Nico secretly _loved _sweets. Maybe it was Hazel. He took off his suit and pulled on his pajamas, climbing into bed right afterwards.

In his cabin, Leo was also getting ready for bed, although he wasn't sure he would be able to fall asleep after an awesome day they spent in Paris. How could one fall asleep after such festivities? He crawled under the comfort of his sheets and stared at the ceiling above him.

_I'm in love with that kid._

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think by reviewing! Thank you for reading!**

**~Serena**


	6. Parading Under the Mistletoe

**Chapter six is here, sorry for the delay. I still only have up to 7 written, oops. I'm trying my best though. Oh well.**

**I'll always have updates, though I don't know when they'll come. Either way, happy reading!**

* * *

CHAPTER SIX

Parading Under the Mistletoe

Day: 6

The year Nico and Leo visited Madrid, Spain, the Spaniards were emerging from a recession. Many were unemployed and the economy wasn't going too well—that meant less presents and luxuries for families all across the country. To top it all, that holiday season in Spain was one of the coldest compared to recent years, with temperatures reaching only about 38 degrees during the day and below zero at night. But this did not stop the Christmas spirit reverberating throughout Spain.

_Lights. _That was the only word that could come to Leo's mind when he walked in the streets of Madrid. _Lights. So many lights. _

Their previous Christmas vacation spots had lights too. But the colorful lights of the Niagara Falls and the illuminating wonders of Paris did not even compare to how the Spaniards decorated Madrid. Leo couldn't even explain it—lights were just _everywhere. _They were strung on trees and bushes; they lined the outer walls of buildings and statues; they radiated from billboards and apartments. When Leo said they were everywhere, he was not kidding.

The half-bloods walked eagerly throughout the busy city, stopping at different vendors and markets. They did not buy anything—much like their time in Mexico City—but they did enjoy viewing the customs of Spain.

They entered a local antique shop that sold basically anything: pictures, wood carvings, necklaces, chairs, tables, quilts. The merchant behind the counter spotted the two boys and summoned them to the front. He greeted them with a wide smile.

"Ah," he said. "Tourists?" His words were thick with a heavy accent.

Leo nudged Nico and said, "Unlike Paris, I actually know what people are saying around here." The son of Hephaestus turned back to the merchant and engaged him in a speedy conversation entirely in Spanish. Nico was amazed at Leo's nearly perfect Spanish skills. It was cool hanging around a trilingual friend. Leo could speak English, Spanish, and Ancient Greek, which kept things interesting. He often took turns cursing in all three languages.

The merchant then shook hands with both boys and said something again in Spanish. His eyes flickered toward Nico, and then Leo's did the same. Nico raised an eyebrow, but before he could ask anything, Leo was pulling him out of the shop, not before giving the merchant a hasty wave.

"What was that?" Nico demanded, yanking his arm out of his friend's grip once they were outside.

Leo's cheeks were a shade of pink as he spoke: "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Nico wrapped his aviator jacket around him tighter. He did not expect Spain to be this cold during the winter. He had always figured Spanish weather was similar to Mexican weather. That was obviously a misunderstanding; he remembered being so warm in Mexico City. Here in Madrid, he was freezing.

Leo was wearing a white long sleeved shirt over his orange camp T-shirt. His suspenders clipped to his waist, right where his magical tool belt rested. He had a blue jacket over his clothes, but he had no hat or gloves or even a scarf. This was all he needed in order to stay moderately warm. Leo did not get as cold as others—being able to control fire meant he was always cooking on the inside.

Nico was used to the chill, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He grabbed a pair of mittens out of his pocket and slid them on his slender hands. He puffed warm air into his palms and rubbed them against each other to create friction. _Stupid cold,_ he thought bitterly to himself. _Why does it always have to be cold?_

"Feeling a little chilly?" Leo said, grinning. The pink had disappeared from his face as he returned back to normal.

"I'm fine," Nico snapped as he continued to walk ahead. He was mad at Leo for dismissing him when he clearly wanted to know what the merchant had said. It was obviously about Nico, no doubt. But what made Leo so embarrassed, so nervous?

Maybe Leo was embarrassed to be around Nico. _No, that can't be it. Leo wouldn't have invited me on this trip if he didn't want to be seen around me. But what could it be?_

Leo suddenly wrapped an arm around Nico's chest.

"Whoa there," Leo said. "Watch out, buddy. You were just about to walk into a random dude."

Nico was inches away from a tourist's backside. Leo had grabbed him just in time before his face smashed into the man. He stumbled backward and noticed how he wasn't the only person standing in the middle of the sidewalk—many other people were forming a crowd, all lined up along the street. They were waiting for something—but what?

Nico and Leo were not the tallest people in the world. They still could hardly see the street when they stood on their tiptoes. They peered over the shoulders of the spectators, but they still had a horrible view of what was about to happen.

Leo must really have wanted to get to the bottom of this, because he then began to weave in and out of the spectators, forcing his way to the front. Many angry curses in Spanish and other various languages later, Leo and Nico burst to the front of the crowd, nearly spilling to the road. They held onto each other for support as the music began.

A large float made a sharp turn onto the main street before the crowd. Fast-paced Spanish Christmas music blasted from the speakers upon it. There were more floats behind it as a whole parade slowly progressed down the street. Dancers, singers, musicians, carolers, and gymnasts were on various floats. Candy was thrown into the crowd. Acrobats swung from the structures of the parade. Dancers swayed to the music. Singers and musicians and carolers _created _the music. There was a _boom! _as multicolored confetti erupted from a cannon. Spectators cheered and applauded as the confetti rained down.

Leo and Nico turned to each other, both boys with wide grins on their faces. They laughed as the confetti stuck to their clothes and entangled in their hair. They were constantly catching candy out of the air and stuffing them in their pockets, which were now bulging from the many _chupa chups_ they had collected.

The parade also portrayed biblical scenes. One float was decorated with a live-action nativity scene. Another had a choir of angels singing on it. These Spaniards were very religious, which explained the parade's theme. Leo wondered if any of that could be true. He decided not to dwell on it too much.

On the final float a large banner was displayed with the words _¡Feliz Navidad! _written upon it in huge, embroidered letters. There was one last blast of confetti as the float made a left at the next intersection, following the others throughout the rest of Madrid. The spectators gave a final cheer as they departed.

Nico and Leo found themselves in the center of the road, collecting the rest of the _chupa chups_ from the parade. They only grabbed the ones that weren't crushed or torn open. Nico ran out of room in his aviator jacket so he had to put the candy in Leo's tool belt, which could hold just about anything.

Leo saw a little boy out of the corner of his eye. He was standing on the sidewalk, too afraid to get into the middle of the street. It seemed as if the boy missed the parade, for he didn't have any candy whatsoever. His mother was behind him trying to drag him along. The boy sadly looked at mess of confetti and broken candies, pushed his curly hair out his eyes, and grabbed his mother's hand. They walked on.

"Wait!" Leo found himself shouting. He sprinted to the mother and son.

"_Perdón?" _the mother said, her eyes widening at the sight of the frantic Leo.

"Candy," Leo panted. He grabbed a handful of _chupa chups_ out of his tool belt and shoved it into the boy's arms. "_Dulces._"

In short spurts, Leo quickly explained to the mother that it was candy from the parade. He had gotten a lot, and he didn't mind sharing with others. There was plenty to go around. The mother responded in her perfect Spanish dialect: _Thank you. That was very kind of you._

The little boy hugged Leo. The demigod couldn't help but feel a connection to the boy. He looked a lot like Leo did when he was about four. The mother seemed grateful for this random act of kindness. Maybe the recession had affected the gifts the boy was going to receive this year. Looking at the little family, Leo thought of his own mother.

"That was incredibly kind of you," Nico said when Leo rejoined him. Nico dumped another handful of candies into the tool belt.

Leo shrugged, though he seemed disturbed by something. "I try."

* * *

Leo grew back to normal within a few minutes. He led Nico throughout the rest of Madrid, visiting shops and viewing the lights and decorations. It was hard to get past all the tourists in the city, but they still managed to see all the good stuff.

Nativity scenes were everywhere. Plastic, wood, marble, and even live action—all types of the Nativity were scattered throughout all of Madrid. The trees between buildings and apartments were decorated to look as if snow had fallen upon them. People were bustling about, doing their last minute shopping and visiting friends.

One of the few things Nico worried about—besides being attacked by monsters—was how different Leo and Nico looked compared to others. He didn't like being judged, and standing out in a huge city like Madrid felt like Nico was being tried in a court of a million jurists for a crime he didn't know he was committing. He was about to suggest going somewhere else—even back to the _Argo II_—when Leo ducked inside a family-owned shop.

The woman behind the counter lit up when she saw the boys.

"Tourists?" she asked.

Leo nodded his head. Nico looked around anxiously. _Okay, so we come off as tourists. _He remembered how the merchant from before had called them tourists too._ But that doesn't mean we don't stand out. A monster could easily find us._

Nico began thinking. His fear of looking different had to be something _besides _monster attacks. He got attacked by monsters all the time, no matter where he was. And he had always looked the same—so why was he worried about his appearance _now_ of all times?

He glanced at Leo. It probably had something to do with the son of Hephaestus. Nico was beginning to notice some changes within himself—he was kinder, he talked more, and he wasn't so rough around the edges anymore. He was laughing and smiling and goofing around. He hadn't been like this until Leo burst into that cabin, demanding Nico come on a vacation with him.

Leo, the goofy, smiley kid who had always been there for everyone. Leo, who couldn't even possibly betray anyone. He and Nico were opposite yet similar at the same time and it frustrated Nico to think that way. What if it didn't work out between him and Leo? Whatever feelings that he was harboring for Leo…what if they were for the worst? Nico was just so _different _compared to Leo. That could potentially mess up whatever was going on between the two.

So maybe Nico wasn't afraid of being too different for other people—maybe he was afraid of being too different for Leo.

"I always thought we stood out from the crowd," Leo wondered aloud to Nico. "I guess we _do _blend in as tourists."

This took Nico aback. Could Leo read minds?

"We probably look like two lost kids separated from their parents," Nico said quickly. He needed to brighten the mood for himself. Make things easier.

Leo snickered. "Could you imagine? Us being _brothers_?"

Nico gave an awkward laugh. "Brothers? Nah. More like…"

He didn't finish the sentence.

"What brings you boys in here today?" the lady asked as they approached the counter.

"Just looking around," Leo said. His eyes flickered to Nico.

"Is this your first time here in Madrid?"

The boys nodded their heads. Then, Leo turned toward Nico.

"Shoot! Bro, I think I dropped my money." Leo patted his pockets.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "You didn't—"

"Yeah, man, I did," Leo insisted. "How about you _go outside and look for my money?_"

Nico got the hint. Leo didn't want him around.

Nico walked out of the shop.

* * *

The lady smiled. "Shopping for your friend?"

Leo grabbed a wad of cash out of his tool belt and slapped it on the counter. "You bet. Got anything good?"

The lady walked from behind the counter to a wall full of knickknacks. "We carry a variety of items, all really good stocking-stuffers." She gestured to the wall like a weatherman would a green screen. "Unlike other shops, we don't sell cheap toys. We try our best to create handmade quality goods."

"What's all this?"

"These are hand carved wooden toys. Only our finest carvings are displayed and sold for a reasonable price."

Leo looked amongst the toys, all carved out of tree bark and wood. Trains, soldiers, animal figurines, houses, miniature chests, and tiny dolls—all strategically placed throughout the shelves on the eastern wall of the shop.

Leo picked up a toy soldier.

"Be careful, they are very fragile."

Leo set the soldier down as quickly as he had picked it up.

"I'm looking for something that'll last a while," Leo said. "Something that I may have a hard time breaking. Something that my friend will like."

The lady paused. "That is tough. Tell me about him."

Leo hesitated. "Well, he and I just became friends over the summer. We met through mutual friends from this…camp. This summer, he went on a lot of adventures with me and our friends, and in the end we grew closer, I guess. But now that our adventures are over, we don't really do much together anymore. The two of us are really busy at our camp. Our friends left for their homes this holiday season, but Nico and I—that's his name—didn't really have any place to go. So I decided to take him on another adventure, this time all around the world. Today we're here at Madrid, and we're having a lot of fun. But I just want to get him a gift, something _perfect._" Leo stopped his rambling and looked up at the lady. "You know?"

"Hmm… I understand," the lady said. "What about his personality?"

Leo tried not to blush. "Uh, well, he's nice. And really helpful. And funny—he doesn't know it, but he can be funny. And I can easily say he's one of my best friends. We had a bit of a rocky start at first, but we've gotten used to each other by now." Leo glanced at the door. Nico was still gone. "He's one of the bravest people I know. He has a thirst for adventure, even when 90 percent of the time he's thrown into it unwillingly. He will do anything for family and friends. He's been through a lot, but he's still always there for those he loves."

"Including you?"

Leo faltered. "I—I guess."

The lady smiled. "Sounds like a great guy."

Leo smiled a little. "Yeah, he is. So, does all this help?"

The lady shrugged. "Not really. I was just curious what he meant to you."

This time Leo _did _blush. He turned around so the lady couldn't see.

"But you said you wanted something to last long," the lady continued. She grabbed a white candle off the top shelf of the southern wall and handed it to Leo. "This will last him weeks—months, maybe. And that's if he uses it every day. It is handmade and can only be found in this very shop."

Leo looked at the candle. It was wider than his palm and was resting in a plastic container. "Handmade means unique," he said. He took the lid off and sniffed. "It smells good, too. I'll take it."

The lady rang up the candle at the cash register. It was expensive and took up at least a fourth of Leo's money, but Leo didn't think much of it. He quickly shoved the candle inside his tool belt and thanked the lady.

* * *

He found Nico on a park bench.

The son of Hades was staring at the snow beneath his feet. Tuffs of his black hair were sticking out of his hat and over his ears. His hands sat folded in his lap as he swung his feet back and forth, slowly and slowly, not tearing his eyes from the ground. He looked sad, which nearly broke Leo's heart.

Leo quietly sat next to him. "Hey."

"Hi."

"I found my money."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

Then Leo grabbed the candle out of his tool belt. He handed it to Nico, who looked up in surprise. He gingerly took the gift and stared at the wick and the wax.

"I was going to wrap it," Leo said, "but I thought you could use it now." _It's for reassurance,_ he thought to himself. _To show you that I will never leave you. _He didn't say those words aloud.

Nico continued to stare at the candle.

"I wasn't trying to get rid of you," Leo said gently. "Well, I was, but for a good reason." He shrugged and pointed to the candle. "I still hadn't gotten you a gift, and I knew time was running out. I improvised. I'm sorry."

Nico suddenly looked up.

"Don't be sorry," he croaked. And then he did something unexpected: he hugged Leo.

At first, Leo was too shocked to do anything. Then he slowly wrapped his arms around Nico, returning the embrace. The two boys sat there for what could have been forever, arms within arms, hardly any space in between.

* * *

Back at the _Argo II_, the boys spent the rest of the day in the quiet living room.

They played card games, drank hot cocoa, and watched the fire roar in front of them. They were wearing their sweaters again, which Nico began to grow extremely fond of. It was becoming his second favorite article of clothing, just a few points behind his aviator jacket.

He must have had fallen asleep, because a half hour later, Nico found himself waking up. He was delirious at first, not knowing where he was. Then he sat up and saw Leo.

The son of Hephaestus was studying blue prints to something he must have been working on. He set the blue prints on the floor in front of him when he noticed Nico.

"Good morning," Leo said. "Well, it's not actually morning. It's only ten at night. You were asleep for a good thirty minutes."

"Sorry about that," Nico mumbled. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stretched. He was still feeling tired.

"You should go back to sleep," Leo said. "You've got to be rested for tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?"

Leo smirked. "I can't tell you! But I promise wonderful adventures will be awaiting you when you wake up tomorrow morning."

Nico murmured something incoherent and started for the stairs. Leo jumped up and pounced after him, stopping Nico in the doorway to the mess hall.

"Uh, wait," Leo said. He placed his hands on Nico's shoulders. "I just want to make sure everything's okay. You know—with today."

"I had a great time, Leo," Nico said honestly.

"Okay," Leo said, smiling. "If you're certain."

Nico shook his head. "You're so worried about me having a good time," he said bewilderedly, "when I don't even know if _you're _enjoying yourself."

"Are you kidding me? I'm having a blast!"

Nico smiled. "Good." Then, something caught his eye.

Leo didn't seem to notice. "I'm really glad you came along with me. These past six days have been awesome."

Nico didn't respond. Leo scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion, noticed the son of Hades stiffen, and slowly followed his gaze upward.

Hanging above them, right in the doorway, was a small green plant. It hung on a translucent wire, almost invisible to the naked eye. Leo paled as he realized what the plant was.

Mistletoe.

_Nico and I are under mistletoe._

In his head, Leo said just about every curse word he knew in three different languages.

Leo and Nico slowly made eye contact. Both felt the heat spread across their cheeks. Nico's neck was red in blotches and Leo's ears were bright pink. Leo slowly took his hands off Nico and began twirling his own thumbs. Nico stood there with his arms at his side.

"Uh…" That was all Leo managed before Nico jumped up, pecked Leo on the cheek, and bolted up the stairs away from the whole situation.

Leo stood there for a good five minutes, trying to remember who he was, what he was doing, and why a pale son of Hades just ran away from him. He reached up and brushed his cheek with his fingertips. _What just happened…?_

The mistletoe was still above Leo.

_Why in Hades did I even put this here?_

He reached up and tore it from the doorway. It crumpled in his fist. Leo stared at the mistletoe, wanting with every fiber of his being to rewind these last few moments and just stay in the time frame that Nico had kissed him on the cheek. But this time, Leo wouldn't let him run away. He'd grab him and pull him closer and…

Leo shook his head. _Enough_, he thought miserably.

He stuffed the mistletoe in his pocket. He wasn't going to get rid of it just yet.

* * *

There was no note for Day 6. Nico figured Leo hadn't had the time to write one. But he wondered what Leo would say if he _were _to write a note.

_Dear Nico, _it'd start out. _Day 6. Location: Madrid, Spain. I had so much fun today. Let's go back to Madrid! _And then he'd ramble about the things they'd do and the people they'd see again. He'd gush about the parades and the candy and the little boy he gave some of his sweets to. _I hope you like the gift, _he'd continue to say. And hopefully—with any hope left in Nico—he'd mention something about the kiss. _I liked the kiss. It was nice. We should put more mistletoe up. _

Nico sighed and fell back onto his bed. He felt like rolling up into his sheets and withering away. _Idiot. Stupid, stupid idiot. I shouldn't have done anything. I should have laughed it off. That was not right for me to do. I'm so… ARRRRGHHHHH!_

Nico knew damn right his mind wouldn't let him think tonight. He tried his best to fall asleep, but he couldn't help but finish the imaginary note for himself.

_I'll see you tomorrow, Nico,_ Leo would write. _Goodnight._

He would sign it with a quick and brisk _Love, Leo._

_Love, Leo. Love Leo. LoveLeo. Loveleo. loveleo._

The words mulled over in Nico's mind until they blended together. _Love, Leo._ It was funny how he had been signing it _Love. _Not _From_, or _Yours Truly, _or _Sincerely, _or even _Your Friend—_recently it had always been _Love. _Love. Love love love.

Nico muttered some Greek swears into his pillow, a few lose feathers getting into his mouth. He lay there until his mind could take no more and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

**School is here, so who knows when I'll actually finish this story. I promise it will be soon...ish. I really don't know. Let's hope it won't take me an eternity. Christmas has already passed, ugh. *sigh***

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**~Serena**


	7. Testing New Elements

**So I know I haven't posted in a while, but I have some good excuses so hear me out. 1.) Right after winter break I had a week full of studying for midterms and another week full of taking midterms. So school plays a huge factor in my absence. Also, the week of my midterms my laptop decided to break and so I was without it for a good 3 days. That doesn't sound like a long time but ****_damn I really missed my laptop._**** Anyway, I always give updates on my profile just in case something like that happens.******

**Well this is the latest chapter. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER SEVEN

Testing New Elements

Day: 7

The next location of Leo and Nico's Ultimate Christmas Vacation was just as cold as Paris. It was barely ten degrees as the boys docked the _Argo II _midair, pulled on their festive sweaters, and met in the mess hall before their departure.

"My readings say it's going to be cold," Leo said as he studied a small device in front of him. "Even I will have to layer up." He snapped the device shut and shoved it back in his tool belt.

Nico shrugged on his coat from Niagara Falls over his aviator jacket. "Where are we?"

Leo threw a hat and some gloves at Nico. "A place I've wanted to see for a while."

When the boys were bundled up, they climbed down the_ Argo II_ and landed right in the middle of a busy street.

"Aghhh!" Leo shouted as Nico grabbed him by the collar and quickly pulled him to the nearest sidewalk. A large double-decker bus whizzed by, nearly missing Leo by inches. The boys fell to the ground in front of a large crowd of pedestrians.

"Oh gods," Leo said, his eyes bugging out of his head. "That was close."

"You're welcome," Nico said as he and Leo stood up. They brushed themselves off as angry people walked around them.

"When we're not worrying about monsters," Leo said, "I guess we have to watch out for buses. All are known killers of demigods."

Nico snickered. "This is what we get for docking a giant warship above a busy street."

"Hey man, I didn't know. I just thank the gods for the Mist, or we'd have a lot more explaining to do."

They began walking down the street. Judging from the accents, scenery, and the fact that Leo almost got killed by a red double-decker bus, Nico was able to come to the conclusion that they were in London.

They were able to see Big Ben in the distance, which was also a hint for Nico. The whole sky above them was overcast with clouds. It was gently snowing, snowflakes sticking to the boys' clothes and hair. Wreathes and tinsel and holiday lights were hung up on door fronts, buildings, billboards, and trees. It would have been a calming atmosphere if not for the honking horns, busy crowds, and the constant rushing to get somewhere.

"So, this is the place you've always wanted to visit?" said Nico. "London. Why London?"

"What's not to love?" Leo said.

"I don't know," Nico said sarcastically, "maybe the dreary weather and the rude people?"

A man quickly rushed past them and nearly caused Nico to topple over.

Nico grunted. "See?"

Leo dismissed him with a wave. "Nah man, you got it all wrong. The weather may be a bit overcast but that doesn't mean the city isn't beautiful! And a lot of these people are tourists. They just don't know how to relax."

Nico saw a man attempting to buy something from an outside vendor. His three kids were running between his legs and tugging on his jacket, whining for his attention. The man was digging through his wallet as he ignored his kids. He said something about "Stupid European money." Leo gestured to the man and gave Nico a look that said _See what I mean?_

"I guess you're right," Nico said.

Leo eagerly pulled Nico along, trying to keep up with the fast paced pedestrians. Just as they were making their way down the street, something caught Nico's eye.

"Hey, Leo—was _that_ on your to-do list for today?"

Leo looked where Nico was pointing and paled. He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"Well, I wasn't _planning _on it…"

"Can we please try?" Nico pleaded like a little boy. "I haven't gone since the last time Bianca took me."

Leo looked especially nervous. Nico felt bad for making him feel this way, but he desperately wanted him to give in. He wondered what could be making Leo feel like this.

One glance into Nico's pleading eyes softened Leo's expression a bit.

"Okay."

Now it was Nico's turn to do the pulling and Leo's to be dragged along. Leo fiddled with the seams of his hat as they stopped at an ice rink.

Nico peered over the gate and watched everyone skate. He felt his eyes widen as he heard the skates against the ice, the laughter of couples and children, the memories of his own time skating with Bianca. It had been _so long _since he had been skating before, yet the nostalgia from his childhood drew him to the ice rink. He _really _wanted to share this moment with Leo.

Speaking of the self-proclaimed Fire Lord, he wasn't looking too well. His face was pale, he was pulling at the edges of his knit hat, and he was drifting off into his own little world. Nico nudged him and gave him a reassuring smile. _It'll be okay,_ he seemed to say. Leo smiled back, although it wasn't one of his usual crooked grins. This one was full of doubt and worry, and was obviously forced from within.

Leo paid for rental skates and entry to the ice rink. Nico pulled on his skates with ease, but Leo was obviously struggling. His forehead creased in concentration as he yanked the skates onto his feet. He was struggling to strap himself in when Nico came over.

"Here," Nico said, helping Leo with the straps. Leo looked both grateful _and _embarrassed. He still hadn't said a word since Nico dragged him to the rink. "Bianca always had to help me with mine. I'm surprised I managed to get these on now."

Leo lightened up for a second before returning to his original state. His anxiety was beginning to rub off on Nico, who was also growing worried for Leo's sake.

Nico and Leo lined up at the gate behind several impatient skaters. When it was their turn, a man opened the door and they went on inside.

Nico carefully stepped onto the ice, testing out the skates. They were cheap rentals, but they still worked nicely. He propelled himself forward and did a small twirl. He suddenly laughed out loud—he knew he was going to enjoy this.

Leo, however, was _not _enjoying this. He clung onto the wall as if his life depended on it. He didn't dare move—he didn't feel like falling and breaking his neck. He watched as a variety of skaters moved past him, some even as young as six. He wished he could at least find the courage to let go of the wall, but he couldn't bring himself to do that. He was a sixteen year old boy hanging onto the railing of an ice rink while kids less than half his age whizzed on by.

_I look like an idiot._

Nico did another twirl, this time to turn around and find his friend. Leo was several yards behind him, clutching onto the wall of the rink. He was clearly too petrified to move. Nico felt a pang in his heart. What did he talk his best friend into doing?

Nico quickly skated to Leo's side. The son of Hephaestus tried to not look so scared.

"Hey, Nico," he said, voice wavering. "Just, you know, watching everyone skate. Nice view. Not really in the mood to move at all. Exercise isn't really my thing."

Nico sighed and gently took Leo's hands, slowly peeling them from the wall. Leo's eyes widened in fear, but the moment he saw Nico's gloved hands within his own he began to feel a bit better.

Nico turned, letting go of Leo's left hand yet still holding his right, and showed Leo the proper way to push off. In no time Leo and Nico were softly gliding forward, hand in hand, heading around the rink. Leo wobbled from here and there but Nico was always there to hold him up. Once Leo seemed to get the hang of it, Nico let go of his hand, which Leo did not seem too grateful for. He staggered a bit but managed to catch his balance.

They skated around the ice rink in big circles, close enough to the wall and to each other if Leo felt wobbly. Many people passed them up but both boys didn't care; they were in no rush to get around the rink.

"Why didn't you tell me you didn't know how to skate?" asked Nico suddenly. Leo looked away bashfully.

"You seemed so excited to try it out," Leo admitted. "I didn't want to be a killjoy."

"You could have just told me," Nico insisted. "I would have still forced you to come anyway, so it wouldn't have made a difference."

"Glad to see you are so honest with me."

Nico laughed. Then he said, "'At times you've got to do things that frighten you.' Bianca used to give me that advice all the time. I've been taking it to heart ever since. It's helped me in difficult situations—two Olympian-sized wars, the feud between both camps, even Tartarus. _Especially _Tartarus. You'd have to get over your fear someday, so why not now?"

Leo smiled gratefully. "You know what's best for me."

"I wouldn't say that. I just knew you would have fun once you got the hang of it."

Leo propelled himself a little faster. "I've never felt comfortable in any other element than my own. I do great with fire, not water and ice. But this doesn't seem to be too bad. I just—AGHH!"

Leo spilled to the floor, taking Nico with him. The boys burst into laughter as people skated around them, turning their heads to see the commotion and giggling along.

Nico got up first, helping Leo after him.

"Just like Paris all over again, eh?" Nico said, smiling.

"I'm pretty sure that was Khione's work," Leo retorted.

"Khione is in Tartarus."

Leo shushed him. "I need _someone _to blame my bad luck on. Khione seems like a nice option."

"She is a piece of work, isn't she?"

Leo and Nico whipped their heads around so fast they almost fell over again. A young man about eighteen or nineteen years old was just behind them, gliding on the ice with ease, not bothering to stop as he spoke to the two boys. The man was tall and had sandy blond hair and crystal blue eyes. His face seemed to be carefully structured: high cheekbones, thin lips, and a blinding smile. He was muscular and lean and obviously a lot more talented at ice skating than Leo.

The demigods automatically knew who this man was.

"Lord Apollo?" Nico blurted.

Apollo skidded to a stop right in front of the boys, kicking up ice shavings onto the boys' ankles. "Ah, so glad you recognized me. Although I can't see why you wouldn't."

The next several people who passed by couldn't help but stare at the underdressed handsome man. Apollo was only wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He didn't even have gloves on. Maybe he had the warmth of the sun inside him, if that was possible. Leo didn't know.

"If you don't mind me asking," Nico said politely, "what are you doing here, sir?"

"Can't a god spend time with a couple of demigods?"

Leo and Nico glanced at each other uneasily.

"Is there something you need us to do?" Leo asked.

Apollo looked at them funny. "Why do all half-bloods expect the gods to send them off on a mission or a quest whenever we visit them?"

"Well, uh—"

"No reason, my lord," Nico said hastily, cutting Leo off. "We're just being ridiculous, that's all."

"I don't think we're—arghhffmm."

Nico had clamped his hand on Leo's mouth, muffling the rest of his statement. Leo tried to pry Nico's hand off him but the son of Hades was stronger than he looked.

Apollo didn't seem to notice or care of Nico and Leo's struggle.

"Well, if you must know, I often go ice skating around this time of the year," Apollo continued, ignoring the boys' antics. "I am an exceptional skater, you know."

"Oh, yes, of course," Nico said. He finally released Leo, who shot him a glare. "The finest of them all."

Apollo dismissed the comment with a wave. "Pfft, flattery is generous but not needed, my friend." He stopped to think. "However it _is _highly recommended."

Leo fought the urge to roll his eyes. Nico glanced at him as if to say _don't piss him off. _

"Lord Apollo, if I may ask a question," Nico began. "Did you know we were in London? Or did you just so happen to be here?"

Apollo flashed a smile to a nearby girl, who nearly fell over in distraction. He turned back to the boys.

"A bit of both," the god admitted. "I wasn't lying when I said I am a fabulous ice skater. I truly am. You should watch me on Hephaestus TV. However, I _did _come by to _maybe possibly_ pass along a little message."

Uh oh. A message from Olympus usually meant trouble.

"Well, could you _maybe possibly _tell us what that message is?" Leo asked. It was hard to keep the irritation out of his voice.

Apollo opened his mouth to say something when a girl a few years older than Leo skated by. She shot Apollo a mischievous look, and the god couldn't help but give a greedy smile in return.

"Be right back," he whispered. He quickly skated after the girl.

"Wait!" Nico shouted, but the god was already determined to catch up with the girl.

"Gah!" Leo grunted. He threw his hands up in the air. "Why do the gods have to be so difficult?"

Nico rested a hand on Leo's arm. "Don't worry. I'm sure it's nothing. What I'm wondering is why Olympus has Apollo delivering this message. Shouldn't Hermes be doing that job?"

Leo slowly pushed himself forward. "I don't know. Whenever the gods show up, everything turns into a big puzzle. We've got to solve this, decode that, then put it all together and learn what it means."

Leo was still a sucky skater, and Nico caught up to him quickly. "I know how you feel, but you can't be so bitter. Things could be worse. We could be in another war."

"His message could _be _about another war for all we know," Leo said. "I just wanted to have a great Christmas vacation without worrying about demigod stuff. First we got attacked by hellhounds in Ontario. Now we're being visited by a god in London. What in Hades do we need to do in order to get some peace?"

On the other side of the rink, Apollo was leaning against the wall while chatting with the girl from before. She seemed totally smitten with the god and his handsome good looks and charming attitude. Nico suddenly felt more annoyed than anything.

"Let's find out."

"What—? Whoa!"

Nico pulled Leo ahead, not allowing him to finish his question. The demigods were going faster than before, causing Leo to skid and slide here and there. Nico, being a great skater, was able to keep Leo's butt off the ground as they made their way to the other side of the rink.

Apollo's eyes narrowed as he saw the approaching boys.

"Apollo!" Nico said in false astonishment. "Mother has been looking for you everywhere! She says you have to teach little Leo here how to skate. You know he sucks at it. She doesn't appreciate you leaving him with me."

Apollo's expression was none too kind. He seemed to say _scram, little twerps!_

The girl looked at Apollo as if she expected him to go off with his "brothers." She awed a bit at the fact that Apollo, being the oldest of the fake brothers, had to spend time with his fake younger siblings. Of course, she didn't know this was all false.

Apollo let out a laugh, showing off his dimples as he smiled. He was still trying to impress the girl.

"Ah, so sorry, little _bros_," Apollo said forcefully. "Why don't you just wait over there and I'll teach you both how to skate in a bit?"

"But mom said you have to teach us _now_," whined Leo.

"And I already _know_ how to skate," Nico said in exasperation. "You have to teach _him!_"

"Yes, yes," Apollo said impatiently. He was spitting the words out from behind his teeth. "I suppose I can do it now."

Leo and Nico cheered. "Yay!"

The girl skated off toward a small group of girls, who must have been her friends. They all giggled and pointed at Apollo as she returned to them. Apollo, however, was most likely not in a giggling mood. He glared at Leo and Nico.

"Demigods," he spat. "Always getting in the way."

"Actually, I think you mean to say always_ saving the day_," Leo retorted.

Apollo looked like he wanted to smack him. Instead, he kept his cool and led the two half-bloods to the corner of the rink.

"Let's hurry this up," Apollo said. "I don't need you two killing my vibes."

Nico knew there was a dark side to Apollo. He just didn't want to find out exactly what it was like. He got to the point quickly.

"What's the message?" he asked. "You said there was a message."

Apollo smirked. "Oh, right." He leaned against the wall, arms and legs crossed. He looked as if he hadn't been angry a few seconds before. "The message."

"Yeah—the _message_," Leo said. "Mind telling us it?"

Apollo ignored Leo's irritable tone. "The message is from everyone on Olympus. _We're rooting for you._"

"_We're rooting for you_?!" Leo exclaimed. "That's it? That's the message? Why would Olympus root for us? And what are they rooting for exactly?"

Apollo held up his hands in fake surrender. "Whoa there, little dude. Too many questions. I don't know. I'm just the delivery guy."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "No, you're not. Hermes is the delivery guy. You're the god of music and poetry and a billion other things. But you don't deliver messages."

Leo caught on fast. "Yeah! Nico's right. What's up with that? Who set you up to this?"

Apollo was clearly flustered. "No one! I am a god! You cannot question me like this!"

"Lord Apollo," Nico began politely. "Please, do not take this as an attack on you. We only wish for answers. The whole of Olympus normally does not send you of all gods for house calls."

Apollo appeared to be trapped, his back against the wall, the two demigods standing in front of him. He probably could have had them killed right then and there—but he didn't. Maybe it had something to do with the message. _We're rooting for you._

The god leaned his head back. "I'm sorry," he said to the sky. "I'm stuck."

"Stuck?" Leo said, but Nico shushed him. Apollo looked at both boys once again.

"It wasn't all of Olympus who wanted to deliver the message," Apollo said. "It was Aphrodite." He paused for a moment and then grumbled, "And me."

"Pardon?" Nico managed.

Apollo groaned. "Aphrodite—you know, goddess of love? And me—charming, dashing, young god of music? _We _are the ones with the message. Aphrodite has been watching your little adventures. She thinks the two of you are adorable. She dragged me into it and yeah, sure, you guys seem…nice together. So she had me come down to let you know that _we're rooting for you._ All right? Happy now?"

He looked back up at the sky. "Well, what could I have done? They wouldn't have believed me otherwise!" He paused. "I know we sound ridiculous!"

Leo groaned. It was a relief knowing he had been worked up over nothing, but it was also distressing to know that the gods were watching him and Nico. _What did Dad think? And what about Hades? _Leo pushed these thoughts out of his head.

Now Apollo looked bored. "Can I go now? I've got skating to do, girls to meet, and sun chariots to ride."

The half-bloods slid out of his way as the god skated in the opposite direction, hoping to find the girl from before.

"I really hate visits from Olympus," Nico sighed.

Leo couldn't agree more.

* * *

Ice skating was overrated, Leo decided. Every couple on earth was expected go to the rinks for a date, everyone was expected to be good at it, and everyone was expected to love it. Too many expectations, all of which Leo failed at. _I'm glad Nico enjoyed himself, at least._

They found a nice café to have lunch. Afterwards the boys did the usual: visit iconic landmarks, see hyped-up tourist attractions, and eat good food from random vendors. It wasn't until late at night did the next unexpected thing happen.

On the streets outside a store, a group of carolers stood in a neat formation and sang Christmas carols. They held music sheets in front of their hands, were bundled up from head to toe, and had the leader of the group conducting the rest. They sang selections like _Silent Night _and _Away in a Manger _and plenty of other boring songs that Leo didn't particularly care for.

"Boring?" Nico said. "You don't like these songs?"

Leo didn't realize he had voiced his opinion. He hesitated.

"Uh, no," he said. "These slow carols are always such a drag. I'm more of a _Jingle Bell Rock_ kid."

There was a small crowd formed around the carolers. They looked bored yet probably felt obligated to stand there until this latest song was finished. By the time the carolers belted the last note, the crowd was beginning to disperse. Only a few people left change in the hat in front of the group.

The conductor bowed to the thinning crowd. He was tired and probably wanted to go home to his wife and kids. Perhaps even he knew the carolers weren't too interesting.

"Any song requests?" he asked in a droning voice. "We are always welcome to requests. _Please. _Any requests?"

Leo raised his hand like an eager child at school. "Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Me!"

The man appeared to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, the scrawny Latino kid? What do you wish for us to perform?"

Leo pushed past a couple to reach the front of the small crowd. "_Jingle Bell Rock_, sir."

"_Jingle Bell Rock,_" the man scoffed. "We only perform classics. Sorry, kid."

"Hey! That song is a total classic! Why won't you do it?"

The man sighed. "We have not practiced that song. I apologize. Any other requests?"

"Wait a minute," Leo said. "You don't have to practice the song in order to sing it. We all know the words. Just wave your stick around and I'm sure it'll sound nice."

A vein pulsed on the conductor's neck. "There is no _we _in this, child. _You _are not singing. My carolers are. Now, please, _does anyone else have any requests?_"

The crowd uncomfortably shifted. The conductor was rather rude for a man wishing for money inside his hat.

Nico was about to pull Leo back into the crowd when the son of Hephaestus began singing.

_"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock!_

_Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!"_

Suddenly, another person began singing along, picking up with the next line. The person nudged her boyfriend, who reluctantly joined in. It was like a ripple effect, the way one person began singing after another, and soon the whole crowd _and _the original carolers were belting _Jingle Bell Rock _on the top of their lungs. The conductor was astonished at this. Every single person was singing—well, everyone except a certain son of Hades.

Leo grabbed Nico's hands, much like Nico took his while ice skating. He moved them back and forth, trying to get him to at least dance along. Nico uncomfortably shifted around, not knowing exactly _how _to dance or _how _to sing or anything really. The carolers were now starting a new song—some mainstream, faster paced Christmas tune, very much against the conductor's wishes. Nico glanced around at the crowd and saw how much fun they were having. That was when he gave in.

The two boys were dancing, hand in hand, humming along to the song because they didn't know the words. The crowd around them started dancing along too, and soon the crowd grew larger and larger until Leo was sure the singing could be heard on the street over. Everyone was swinging their arms, grabbing a random partner, and belting the song on the top of their lungs. It was chaos, but planned chaos. Leo could hardly explain it—and it was fun.

The song ended and the crowd clapped and hugged each other. Everyone departed as quickly as they joined the festivities. Leo and Nico were soon some of the only people standing in front of the carolers.

Leo dumped all his money into the carolers' hat. He and Nico were leaving London that night and he knew he did not need the money.

The carolers thanked the boys and patted them on the backs. Even the conductor cracked a smile.

Just as the boys began walking away, Leo saw a familiar man with sandy blond hair. The man winked at Leo before disappearing into thin air.

* * *

_Nico,_

_Day 7. Location: London, England._

_One of our craziest days yet. Singing, dancing, ice skating, Olympian gods—well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. _

_Thank you for teaching me how to ice skate, and thank you for allowing me to lead you in that dance. Today was a day where we both did things we didn't want to do, and yet we both ended up having fun. I think that's pretty amazing. That's what friendship is all about, right?_

_Hope you enjoy your gift! Day 8, here we come!_

_Love,_

_Leo_

This gift was extremely personalized. It was a mix CD of some of Leo's favorite songs. Nico popped the CD into a radio he found in a supply closet. When he listened to some of the lyrics, he felt like he could relate to each song a lot. He wondered if Leo did this on purpose.

Back in his own room, Leo could hear the muffled melodies of all the songs that made him think of Nico. He wondered if the son of Hades even knew that was what the CD was truly about.

Nico did not figure this out until well after their vacation was over.

* * *

**Remember to review. Thanks for reading :)**

**~Serena**


	8. The Downhill Plunge

**I think I have a system right now: I'm going to attempt to get this fic done within the next several weeks. I think I'll be updating on the weekends, using my free time within the week to write. We'll see. School gets in the way.**

**This chapter was going to be available yesterday (Sunday), but things came up. Oh well, a day late. Enjoy anyway!**

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT

The Downhill Plunge

Day: 8

Leo was intimidated by ice skating. Nico was intimidated by singing and dancing. But on the eighth day of Leo and Nico's Ultimate Christmas Vacation, both boys decided to do something that intimidated them _equally._

The boys—decked out in their parkas, hats, and gloves—trekked up the steps to the lodge that belonged to a ski and snowboard resort. Leo held the door for Nico as the two boys made their way to the front desk inside.

"How can I help you?" a man behind the counter said in a thick Russian accent.

Leo slapped some money onto the counter. "We want to rent out some skis. And we'd also like access to the slopes."

The man did a one-over of the boys. He then took Leo's money and nodded outside.

"You can meet the group outside."

"Group?" Leo said. "We're part of a group?"

"Yes," the man said. "The new skiers group. You will learn the basics before you take on the slopes."

Leo did not enjoy being called a newbie, even if it was true. He leaned his head back and laughed so loud people began to stare.

"Oh, oh dear," Leo said, wiping tears from his eyes. "You think we're _newbies?_ I'm sorry sir, but you have us all wrong." He slapped a hand on Nico's shoulder, causing the latter to wince. "My buddy and I here—we are professionals, you see. We've got the medals to prove it. That reminds me, Nico: I need a new pedestal to mount my latest skiing trophy back at home. Think I can order one online?"

Nico, not knowing what else to do, nodded his head. "Sure," he said, voice cracking. He didn't like where this was going.

The man behind the counter raised his eyes. "You've won tournaments?"

"Of course!" Leo scoffed. "I am insulted that you didn't recognize me. I am a huge success in…"

"Australia!" Nico blurted.

Leo glanced at Nico. "Yeah…Australia."

"They have skiing tournaments in Australia?" the man asked.

"Where else would I have won all my awards?" Leo said, as if it were obvious.

If there were actually skiing tournaments in Australia, Leo and Nico had no clue. But they were already a mile deep in this lie that there was really no turning back now.

The man was clearly confused but said nothing more about the subject.

"My apologies," he said. He handed Leo and Nico tickets to attach to their parkas and pointed them to the other side of the lodge, where they could access the slopes.

"Thank you, my good man," Leo said, bowing. He tipped his knit hat as a gentleman would in the early twentieth century. Nico rolled his eyes and pulled him away, muttering an apology to the man.

* * *

They sat on the ski lift and gazed at the slopes below them. Snowboarders and skiers alike dropped off and made their way down the hills expertly. Nico glanced at Leo through his goggles, which protected his eyes from the harsh winter. _What in Hades did you get us into?_

Leo grinned back at him, giving him a thumbs-up with his gloved hands. He held his ski poles tightly.

Both boys were bundled up to the point of nearly looking ridiculous. Their hair stuck out under their knit hats and over their goggles. Their snow pants and parkas hardly allowed them to move. Their gloves were so big they could barely grip the ski poles correctly.

But this was all to protect them from the frigid cold. Despite their attire, their cheeks and noses were still bright pink.

"We'll be fine, man," Leo said, reading Nico's thoughts. "It can't be too difficult."

"You told the man we were tournament-winning professionals."

"So I slipped in a few false details. Nothing that will do any harm."

The ground began to meet their feet as they reached the top of the hill. Nico bit his lip.

"Here we go," Leo said.

The boys slipped the bar over their head and squeezed their way off the ski lift. They wobbled as they tested out their skis, awkwardly pushing themselves to the beginning of the slopes.

"Well, this is it," Leo muttered as he watched people start off down the hill.

"I have a sick feeling to my stomach," Nico said. He clenched his gloved hands around his ski poles as if his life depended on it.

"It won't be bad," Leo said. "Just keep your balance and try not to run people down."

"Easier said than done," Nico grumbled. "I'm sure half the population of St. Petersburg are real professionals at this stuff. They're going to know we're fakes."

Suddenly, a stranger piped up behind Leo. "Hey, kid, you gonna go?"

Leo squeaked in response, "Uh, yeah! Ha. Sorry!"

He edged his way to the beginning of the run and took a deep breath. Then, without warning, Nico pushed him.

Leo yelped as he took off, skiing not at a fast rate but with an alarmingly lack of balance. He wobbled and waved his hands in the air, trying to get a hold of the skis. Not thirty seconds into his downhill plunge was when he found himself falling hard on his butt.

He glanced behind him, embarrassed with his obvious lack of skill, when he found Nico in the same position. Only for the son of Hades, his was laying awkwardly with his face buried in the snow.

Leo grumbled as he tried to stand up, but it was difficult with the skates on his feet. He looked back and found Nico having the same difficulties. Both boys struggled and swore under their breaths as they tried to push themselves off the ground and stand up.

"Ah, screw it!" Leo said. He unclipped his boots from his skis and stood up.

Nico heard Leo's loud outburst and copied his friend, detaching his boots from his skis. The two met up halfway between them.

"This is not working," Nico said. "We're on the _bunny hill! _This is basically a flat surface we're going down. This is embarrassing."

"We can't give up now," Leo said. "I'm pretty sure once we're on these slopes, we can't get off."

"Neither of us knows anything about skiing," Nico said anxiously. "We're going to kill ourselves!"

"Like you said, this is the bunny hill. This won't be too hard. We just have to get used to it."

Skiers and snowboarders passed by as the boys were careful to stay out of their way. Nico and Leo glanced at each other nervously. It was now or never.

Nico suddenly began reattaching his boots to his skis.

"What are you doing?" Leo asked.

"You're right. We've committed to this. Once we're on, we can't get off. Let's just go."

Leo cracked a smile. "I'm so proud."

Nico rolled his eyes.

* * *

Between the both of them, the boys had fallen twelve times within their run down the bunny hill. Once they reached the bottom, they decided that they had enough of skiing and returned their equipment before walking back to the lodge.

"Ah, I see our little professionals have returned," the man behind the desk said. He was the same one from earlier. He looked the boys over, who were completely covered in snow. The man came to the painstakingly obvious conclusion.

"Must have been a tough run out there," he continued sarcastically. "Which slope were you on?"

"_Thebunnyhill_," Leo mumbled quickly, his words jumbling together.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The bunny hill!" Leo said. The man cracked a smile, stepped out from behind the desk, and put his hands on Leo and Nico's shoulders.

"Ah, I suppose _all _professionals have a bit of trouble once in a while. Better luck next time!" The man began to laugh.

Leo and Nico ducked out of the man's grasp.

"Come on," Nico said. He grabbed Leo's hand and led him out of the lodge.

* * *

"I hate skiing," Leo grumbled. "I was so stupid to think we could go skiing. And I screwed it up for both of us by thinking we could just waltz in there and claim we were _professionals._ Have I always been such an idiot?"

Nico put his hand in Leo's and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "First of all, you are not an idiot. Second of all, you need to stop thinking about it. Don't let that man ruin your vacation."

"I just…" Leo collapsed on a park bench just outside the lodge. "I hate making a fool out of myself."

Nico sat next to Leo, leaning in to his friend. Nico's body heat was enough to lift Leo's spirits a bit. Leo realized that he _needed _and _depended _on Nico now, and to the point that Nico simply _being _there right next to Leo was enough to make him feel better.

"Come on, everyone hates embarrassment," Nico said. "Whenever I think back to my Mythomagic days, I realize how embarrassing I must have been. I try not to think of it too much."

Leo giggled. "You were probably adorable."

Nico shrugged. "Bianca thought so."

There was a wave of silence before Nico took Leo's hands and stood up.

"I know something way cooler than skiing."

"And what's that?"

Nico ran to the center of the park, yards away from the ski lodge. He jumped up and landed on his back, sinking into the thick snow. Then he began moving his arms and legs simultaneously.

"Snow angels?" Leo said, raising an eyebrow.

"The best snow angel wins!"

Leo took that challenge to heart. "Be prepared to lose, di Angelo."

"In your dreams, Valdez!"

Leo flopped on his back and quickly moved his arms and legs, copying Nico in his movements. The two boys laughed as they felt the snow seep into their boots and go down their shirts from the aggressive snow angel making. When they stood up, they were once again covered in snow.

The angels were exactly alike, besides Nico's being slightly shorter in stature. However, both boys playfully argued over winners.

"I _clearly _won with my exceptional snow angel skills," Leo boasted. He crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no if, ands, or buts about it."

"Oh yeah?" Nico snorted. "I started first and took my time, which means mine was carefully crafted for _perfection._ I believe I have won, thank you."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "There is only one way we can solve this."

"And what's that?"

Leo reached down and picked up a handful of snow. He began packing it together with his gloved palms. "A good ol' fashioned fight."

Nico saw where this was going. He grabbed his own snow and began mimicking Leo. "You're on, Valdez! Snowball fight!"

Nico threw his snowball at Leo, which caught the demigod off guard by landing square in his face. Nico laughed as he ran off, quickly being pursued by the son of Hephaestus.

"You're going to pay for that, di Angelo!"

Leo rushed after Nico and threw three snowballs at him, all hitting Nico in the back. Nico stumbled and fell to the ground. Just before Leo could launch another offensive, Nico crawled behind a tree and began building an arsenal.

"Come on, Nico!" Leo taunted. "The tree won't protect you for long!"

Nico smiled in spite himself. He quickly rounded up five snowballs in his one arm as he used the other to throw.

Leo just reached the tree when Nico jumped out and began volleying snowballs at his friend.

"Take that!" Nico shouted as all the snowballs hit an overwhelmed Leo. The demigod shouted a string of curses as he dramatically fell to the ground.

"I've been hit!" he said clutching his chest. "I've been shot! Soldier down, soldier down!"

"There's no one to help you now," Nico sing-songed as he sprinted a safe distance away. While Leo kept up his antics on the ground, Nico hastily began piling snow and packing it together. By the time Leo noticed Nico's absence, the son of Hades had a nice barrier to hide behind.

"Hey, no fair," whined Leo. "I'm going to need a chance to build _my _fort!"

A snowball came whizzing out of the air and hit Leo right in the chest.

"You snooze, you lose!" Nico shouted from behind his wall of snow.

Leo began making his own fort, which was similar to Nico's. If he had the time, he could have added a lot of cool aspects to it: a throne, maybe even a ditch for his arsenal. But alas, he had to make do with the time he had.

The boys volleyed snowballs back and forth while hiding behind their own forts. Things got intense when Nico climbed the tree from before and jumped right onto Leo's wall, smashing it. They then attacked each other viciously without any barrier for protection. By the time the boys grew tired and collapsed on the ground, they could hardly see the color of their clothes.

"You know," Leo panted, clearly out of breath from the battle. "If this were a _real _war, that would have been a suicide jump into my fort."

"But this isn't a real war," Nico said. "Rules like that hardly apply."

Leo laughed and tossed a handful of snow at Nico's face. Nico returned the favor.

"You were right," Leo said, wiping the snow off his face. "This _was _a lot more fun than skiing."

Leo reached out and gently took Nico's hand, which caught the son of Hades by surprise. They looked at each other, studied each other, and began to laugh at the fun they had that day.

Then Leo stood up, breaking that moment.

"Well, one more fun thing we have to do," he said as he brushed himself off.

Nico copied his friend. "What's that?"

Leo had that mischievous look in his eye, a twinkle that Nico grew to love.

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Nico raised his eyebrow. "Isn't that something from a movie you like?"

"I'm serious, dude."

"Well, yeah. Who wouldn't?"

Leo grinned like a madman. "Well come on! Let's go, then!"

They began to compact the snow together to form a small ball. Once it was packed in tight enough, they rolled the ball and patted it along the way until it formed the bottom piece for the snowman. They did the same two more times for the middle and top pieces. Once all three sizes were formed, the boys stacked each piece on top of another. The snowman now had a body.

"All we need are the details," Nico said. "I'll find some sticks for the arms and pebbles for the eyes and mouth."

"I'll get the rest of the stuff," Leo said. "Be right back."

Leo ran off in the direction of the lodge as Nico scoured the snow-covered land. When he finally found two twigs and a handful of pebbles, Leo was at the snowman, putting a hat on its head and a scarf around its neck.

Nico stuck the sticks in the snowman's middle piece and Leo put a pair of gloves on each stick. Nico then carefully put two pebbles on the snowman for the eyes and positioned the rest to create a mouth.

"Where did you get the hat, gloves, and scarf?" Nico asked, noting that Leo still had his own on.

"I took them from that Russian guy who made fun of us earlier."

Nico looked at Leo bewilderedly. "You did _what?_"

Leo shrugged as he grabbed a brown paper bag from his pocket.

"And what's that?" Nico asked warily.

"That guy's lunch," Leo said as he dug through the bag. "Oh, and what do you know? Look!"

Leo pulled out a plastic bag of carrots. He grabbed one and stuck it in the center of the snowman's face. The snowman now had a nose.

The boys stepped back to admire their work.

"Beautiful," Leo said.

"Ah, yes," Nico said. "Our creation: a snowman made out of snow, a stolen lunch, and kidnapped winter apparel."

"Hey!" a loud voice boomed behind them. Nico and Leo whirled around to see the Russian man from before barreling after them.

"You stole my things! Get back here!" The man was completely furious, shaking his fist in the air.

Nico and Leo exchanged a look. Without a word, they turned around and ran, giggling as the bewildered man crazily chased after them.

* * *

_Nico,_

_Day 8. Location: St. Petersburg, Russia._

_We should have gone to see the rest of St. Petersburg, but I guess being chased by that Russian guy put a wrench in our plan. Either way, we had a lot of fun failing at skiing, building snowmen, and having snowball wars._

_Let's go back and do it all over again. _

_Love,_

_Leo_

Nico set his new gift on his dresser. It was a touristy snow globe with a happy snowman in the center and a sign that said ST. PETERSBURG next to it. When Nico shook it, multicolored "snow" rained down inside. It couldn't have been any more peaceful.

Leo stood at the helm of his ship, gazing upon the beautiful buildings and architecture that made up the city of St. Petersburg. He wished he had more time to spend with Nico in the city, but he supposed the rest of the pleasantries of the day made up for it.

He leaned against his controls and sighed. This had so far not only been the best Christmas vacation for Nico, but for Leo as well. At this point, in his heart, he knew that the whole vacation wasn't just for Nico. Leo had helped himself.

Leo shivered against the cold wind and tugged his jacket around him even tighter. Tomorrow, if all things went according to plan, they would be in a much warmer place…

* * *

**As always, thanks for reading! Tell me what you think of everything so far! More is to come shortly :)**

**~Serena**


	9. Love within the Stars

**You all probably thought I abandoned this story. Well, no, I did not. I just got super busy and I could give you a novel-long list of excuses but 1.) I don't have time for that and 2.) It would be extremely boring. Plus, who'd care? **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! I just realized I'm nearing the end of this story...**

* * *

CHAPTER NINE

Love within the Stars

Day: 9

Nico knew exactly where they were the moment the camel spit in Leo's face.

"Agh!" Leo cried as he wiped his face with his shirt. "Gross!"

Nico pulled Leo out of the creature's way and helped clean off his friend. The man riding the camel was dressed in traditional clothing. He shot Leo and Nico an apologetic look, clearly not noticing that the boys basically dropped out of the sky. The Mist must be working its magic again, shielding the _Argo II _above them from mortal eyes.

In the distance, a large pyramid stood tall and proud. The colossal structure stood out like a sore thumb in the barren land. Tourists bustled around the pyramid, posing near it for pictures. Nico gazed upon the land structure in complete awe.

When Leo regained his dignity, he rejoined his friend near the tourists.

"The Great Pyramid of Giza," Leo said. "One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What do you think?"

"Breath taking," Nico said. "We're in Egypt."

"What gave it away?" Leo sneered. "The camel or dirt?"

Nico jabbed Leo in the side.

"All right, sorry," Leo said. "Let's get a closer look, shall we?"

Leo laced his fingers through Nico's and the boys ran off in the direction of the pyramid.

"You know," Nico said when they stopped. "It was a lot more interesting before. The size is fantastic, sure, but now it just looks like a giant mound of dirt."

Nico was right. After looking at the pyramid for a while, the boys realized it was just a big thing of dirt. Yeah, it was amazing to think of the ancient slaves of Egypt building the pyramid by hand, but then again, it was just dirt. Actually, the whole of Egypt so far was just dirt.

"I heard this place is a lot cooler at night," Leo said. "Hey, the Great Sphinx of Giza is just down the street, about 15 minutes away. Maybe that's a better mound of dirt!"

They hitched a ride in a shady tourist van and trekked over to the Great Sphinx. When they docked off, the boys had to admit that the Sphinx was a lot cooler. They stood right before the structure, studying it like a curator would at a museum.

"What happened to its nose?" Nico asked, pointing at the Sphinx's face. Where there should have been a nose was just a missing chunk of dirt.

"Legend says peasants were praying to the Sphinx for a good harvest," Leo said. "When their prayers came true, some dude was pissed. He chopped the nose off and was executed for it."

A tourist standing next to them snorted.

"You don't really believe that story, do you?"

Leo raised his eyebrow at the tourist. "Like I said, it's a legend. What do _you _think happened?"

"Obviously Napoleon knocked it off when he conquered the lands," the man scoffed. "Do your research, buddy."

Smoke literally started billowing out of Leo's hair. The man didn't notice, but Nico certainly did.

Suddenly, another man came up. This one was wearing bifocals and a sweater vest, despite it being nearly 60 degrees. He looked like the stereotypical professor, and when he began talking, Nico supposed he was.

"Actually, both of you are wrong," the professor said. "It was the Turks who did it, long before Napoleon showed up."

"It could have just been weather erosion," a woman nearby chimed in. "I am a scientist, you know."

"Guys," Leo said through gritted teeth. "Trust me, I Googled this one. It was the angry peasant dude."

The professor and man laughed. The woman scientist looked at Leo sympathetically.

"It's a nice guess, but how would the peasant reach the nose?" the woman asked.

The professor adjusted his bifocals. "Well, it's better than _your _suggestion. Weather erosion? Highly unlikely!"

The scientist turned to the man. "_Excuse me?_"

The professor, scientist, and tourist erupted in a loud argument. Leo's angered suddenly evaporated. He and Nico were left staring at the arguing adults. They exchanged a look.

"Let's get out of here," Nico said. "I could care less about the nose. It's all dirt to me."

He began leading Leo toward the bus when someone stopped in front of them. The person was pulling two camels behind him. The camels looked disinterested and hardly paid anyone attention.

"Would you boys like a camel ride?" the man asked.

"I don't really have a nice history with camels," Leo said uneasily.

"Oh, camels mean no harm," the man said. "I promise you, it is very fun! Look around!"

A few people were riding camels around them. The camels were relatively slow and it didn't look very exciting, but the people seemed pretty happy. Actually, it _did _look like fun.

There was that familiar glint in Leo's eye. Nico noticed it immediately.

"Oh no," Nico said firmly. "We are _not _riding camels."

"Come on, dude!" Leo said. "We're in Egypt! Let's do something fun."

"I like the dirt. The dirt is fun. Let's go look at some more dirt."

Leo grabbed Nico's arm. "That's not what you said earlier. Besides, what could go wrong?"

Nico stared at Leo. "Absolutely everything."

Leo ignored his friend and turned back to his man. "How much, dude?"

The man gave him a price, and once Leo paid, the man helped the boys on a single camel. Leo held on to the reigns in the front. When the man gave the go ahead, the camel began moving.

Nico jerked back and instinctively grabbed onto Leo. He blushed, noticing how close they were on the smelly camel, and wrapped his arms around tighter when he saw how high they were off the ground. If the camel wanted to, he could probably fling the boys off his back. The only sturdy thing on the wild beast was Leo.

They slowly trotted around the barren land. Leo pulled a camera out of his tool belt and handed it to Nico. The son of Hades took a lot of pictures of the two boys on the camel. He laughed, thinking how ridiculous they must have looked. He could only imagine what his friends back at camp would say. They'd probably comment on how big of dorks Leo and Nico were.

"Ugh, this thing is so slow," Leo said. "Can't it go any faster?"

"I wouldn't mess with it," Nico warned. "Camels are huge."

"Hey, what could go—?"

"Everything!" Nico said. "I told you. Literally _everything _could go wrong."

"You have no faith in me." Leo looked back at Nico with puppy dog eyes.

"Not when it comes to huge land creatures, no."

"I'm taking that as a challenge," Leo said. He jerked the reigns and shouted, "Hyah!"

"Leo—whoa!"

The camel, completely frightened, gained momentum. The boys were thrown backward by the sudden change in speed and were completely knocked off the beast. As they went flying, their demigod training kicked in, and the boys ducked and rolled when they hit the ground. They rolled on some more until they came to a complete stop, bodies aching and clothes covered in dirt.

The man who sold them the camel ride ran to their side.

"Oh dear, oh dear!" he exclaimed. Then he saw the camel strutting far away from the boys. "My camel!"

Leo rolled on his back, squinting in the sunlight. He carefully got to his knees and saw the man sprinting after his retreating camel.

"Glad to know his priorities are in the right place," Leo muttered.

Several feet away, Nico was struggling to his feet. The boys stumbled to each other and grasped each other's arms.

"Are you okay?" they chorused. They both nodded their heads at the same time.

Leo let out a breath. He gently touched the back of his head, which didn't hurt. "I think my head's okay. You?"

The only place that ached was Nico's midsection, which probably would be bruised by the morning. "I'm good. No concussions."

Leo brushed himself off and then helped Nico with his own clothes. They still smelled like dirt and their clothes were now messy. But Leo wasn't going to let this destroy his plans. Trying to follow the schedule, Leo figured they didn't have time to get cleaned up again.

"I think I'm done with this place," Leo said. "Let's go somewhere with less camels and more food."

The boys boarded the tourist van again and set off toward the capital of Egypt: Cairo.

* * *

Cairo was more like an actual city, thank the gods.

Nico didn't know what Cairo had to offer besides the pyramids and Sphinx 30 minutes away. But, like always, Leo had done his research. He took Nico to the coolest places around. He knew where to go and what to avoid. He knew what the best restaurant was and what restaurant was a rip off for tourists. He knew what streets to go down and what streets to avoid. Leo, as always, proved to be the best tour guide anyone could imagine.

They saw several mosques, all beautiful in architecture. Each mosque was different in its own aspect: height, length, and structure, to name a few. Some looked ancient and musty while others were breathtakingly stunning. Nico didn't know there were that many mosques around, but he supposed they were like churches back in the States. They popped up everywhere.

They visited the Museum of Islamic Art, the Egyptian Museum, and the Cairo Opera House. They saw the Cairo Tower (basically a tall, thin building) and stopped in plenty of shops and stores. They ate at a wonderful restaurant Leo had found and stuffed themselves silly. By the time they got to the Abdeen Palace, the boys could barely walk with the amount of food they ate.

"What is this place?" Nico asked as he marveled over the beautiful walls and floors of the inside of the palace.

"It was used as home for royalty for about 80 years," Leo said, reciting the information off the top of his head. "It's been a museum since the 1930s. Check out all the weapons!"

Leo stumbled over to the glass display cases holding swords. Nico had to admit, they were pretty sweet.

The palace was spectacular in architecture but was ordinary with everything else. The boys admired the history of the Egyptian royals and the weapons in the cases, but they honestly could have cared less about the political stuff. When the boys felt they had exhausted the palace, they headed for the exit.

It was late when they stepped outside. The sky was a dark indigo and the air was much cooler than before. Nico inched toward Leo, trying to absorb his natural body heat. He was a lot warmer than other people, being able to control fire and all.

Nico found himself yawning. "Well, I can't believe there's anything more to see today. Let's head back to the _Argo II_."

Leo paid for another bus trip back to the Great Pyramid of Giza, where his beastly warship was floating harmlessly. Nico yawned again as they sat down in their respective seats, and the soft hum of the bus was enough of a lullaby to cause him to slip into a deep sleep. His head slowly fell atop Leo's shoulder.

Leo jumped in surprise. Nico's head was just there, on his shoulder, as he slept like a baby. Leo gulped nervously. Maybe he wouldn't mind if Leo just _let _him sleep there…

Leo's own eyes closed heavily as he succumbed to the calling of slumber.

* * *

Leo woke up a half hour later to an angry bus driver.

He found his head laying on Nico's. He jerked straight up and felt a blush creep up to his face. Nico slowly awoke moments later. It took the son of Hades a second to realize how he fell asleep. He mumbled an apology to Leo and looked away sheepishly.

"Get out!" the bus driver shouted from the front of the bus. Leo and Nico were the only two aboard. "You must awake and leave. You are wasting my time. Get off the bus now!"

"Sheesh, okay," Leo said. He stood up and stretched.

"_Now!"_

"All right, man!" Leo said as he and Nico stumbled in the aisle. "We hear you!"

The moment the boys stepped onto the dirt ground, the bus driver slammed the doors shut and sped down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust behind him.

"People are just so impatient," Leo said.

Nico stretched his arms behind his head. "Well, let's get back on the _Argo. _I'm pretty toast."

Leo fiddled with his tool belt. "Uh, Nico?"

"Hm?"

"I was thinking…can I show you something?"

Nico felt like his legs were going to give out on him. His eyelids were threatening to close every moment he was awake and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. But Leo's pleading eyes sparked curiosity within Nico, and he knew he couldn't win this. Besides, who could say no to those eyes?

"Sure," Nico said. "What do you have in mind?"

Leo led Nico farther away from the road. In the darkness, Nico saw the hovering mass that was the _Argo II. _Leo stopped in the middle of the large strip of land just between the warship and the Great Pyramid of Giza. Then, he lay on his back. Nico copied his friend.

They could see the light from the pyramid in the sky. But just beyond that, they could make out reflecting stars. There weren't a lot, but there were enough to make out some constellations. With the dirt beneath their bodies and the endless, beautiful sky above them, the boys felt at peace. This was probably the most peaceful they felt in a long time.

Leo pointed at the sky. "I always loved the stars."

Nico could only nod his head. "Yeah, me too."

"I'm glad I could spend this moment with you."

Nico was taken aback by that statement. He turned his head and found Leo staring at him. The son of Hephaestus gently took Nico's hand, and they just laid there as they held hands. It was a repeat of Russia all over again, except they had the stars above them as witnesses. This time, Nico felt even more confident that this was where he wanted to be, this was what he wanted to be doing. He couldn't believe he was so reluctant to come along on this trip in the first place. He never thought this journey would turn out this good, this _fantastic. _And he never thought he would be falling in love with Leo Valdez.

Nico's eyes widened. Did he really just think that? He hoped his hands weren't growing sweaty, because that'd not only be gross, but it would also show Leo how nervous Nico was. He swallowed hard and concentrated on the world above him.

Leo sense Nico's sudden change in emotion. He squeezed his friends hand with reassurance. Everything was going to be okay.

The boys laid there for much longer than planned. But if anyone asked for how long, neither would be able to give a definite answer.

Forever, they'd say. Absolutely forever.

* * *

Nico stripped off his shirt in his room. In the dim light, he could see bruises forming on his torso from the camel mishap. But at that moment, he could care less about his soreness and bruises. At least he spent the day with Leo.

Man, love was weird. He could lose an arm and the only thing he would care about was spending the day with Leo.

There was that word again! _Love. _Why did Nico keep associating that word with Leo? _Love. _Did he truly _love _Leo?

The only person he loved before was Percy, but he got over that feeling once he knew Percy was off limits. Was there really life after Percy Jackson?

And at that moment, Nico knew the truth: Yes, yes there was. And that life went by the name of Leo Valdez.

There was a knock at the door. Nico jumped and stared at the back of the door. Leo? What would Leo want?

Nico tugged on a shirt and threw the door open. Leo was nowhere in sight, but something else was. Nico looked down.

A telescope stood outside. It was long and black, with a large round lens at one end. It reached up to Nico's waist, but he figured he could adjust it to be taller. A note was taped onto the instrument's slick surface. Nico peeled it off and read it.

_Nico,_

_Day 9. Location: Cairo and Giza, Egypt_

_Sorry about the camel ride. If you're still sore in the morning, I have some ambrosia waiting in the mess hall. I guess you were right when you said literally everything_ _could go wrong. But I'm Leo, after all. No matter what, things are bound to go wrong._

_I thought you might want to go star gazing some other time. I hope you enjoy the telescope! _

_With love,_

_Leo_

_PS: Remind me to avoid camels at all costs._

Nico carefully carried the telescope inside. He adjusted it to the right height and positioned it so it looked out the porthole of his cabin. He peered through the telescope and gazed upon the stars, picking out constellations and far away celestial beings. Nico eagerly focused in on a group of stars, feeling the adrenaline pumping in his veins. This was one of the coolest gifts ever.

Nico did not sleep much that night. He was too busy studying the stars, trying to find the answer of love within them.

* * *

**Well, that's the end of Chapter 9! Hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for reading!**

**Where do you think Nico and Leo will be visiting next?**

**~Serena**


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